[vash]

i had the opposite experience as legion. i met my full time agent purely by luck. i was with this one guy that did nothing. he would fax me a listing and send me shopping. "call me if you see something interesting" well i did see something, and it cost him. i met a lady at one open house. she had staged the condo, had snacks out. and asked me where i got the list. when i told her, she told me what a real agent should do. i went with her the next day. she drove me around, and really went to bat for me with some crazy seller agents. i ended up buying something and my agent saved me some money and got alot of stuff fixed. we still talk as friends, and i promised her, when/if i sell she will get my business. i know she wont rip me.
story: the house i bought, the selling agent didnt even list on MLS. (yet) what i think her stategy was, is to get walk in buyers. buyers with a better chance of not having an agent. so she could double dip. this really did the poor sellers an injustice. in the end, i was only in a bidding war with 2 others, and not 38 others, like in my first house offer. (in oakland)