[Porsche-O-Phile]

I honestly don't see what realtors (in general, there are exceptions) contribute to the process any more. . . They remind me of travel agents from years ago - self-serving overpriced middlemen that resort to fiercely self-protective practices in order to justify their own existences. . . Sorry, but common sense tells me if a particular industry has to be SO secretive and protective of what for any other market would be open and common knowledge (listings, prices, etc.) there's a reason - namely that they wouldn't survive the "cleansing truths" of the free markets.

The notion of a realtor being "necessary" to buy or sell a home is dying, if not already dead. They don't even offer much from the seller's point of view other than listing your property in their uber-secret databases. Not necessary. They don't do much from a buyer's point of view other than trying to do a "pump and dump" on whatever property they think they can get the most commission off of. Any "pairing" of properties in the uber-secret listings databases to prospective buyers' search criteria is done by software far easier and more efficiently than they could ever do themselves. . . So why do we need these guys?

Realtors should take a clue from the few travel agents that survived the "internet-ization" of airline travel a few years ago. The ones that survived successfully were able to reinvent themselves to offer more than simply access to pricing databases - they became travel CONSULTANTS. They offer meaningful services - they keep tabs on what's going on at various travel destinations, incentives, package deals, changes in customs, and (yes) prices - although pricing alone is common knowledge - you don't need a travel agent for that piece of information.

Similarly, the realtors that want to survive will be the ones that actually contribute meaningfully to the process of buying or selling. They are the ones that will actually listen to their clients and work FOR them - not simply try to shove something down their throats in order to milk a quick commission out of them (for buyers) or passively list a property in a database and a couple of local papers with flowery B.S. adjectives in a pathetic attempt to make a property appeal to some sucker without putting any footwork into it - then collect 5% for it (for sellers).

Sorry, I just don't see how they earn their keep in the majority of the cases. Add to that the market saturation and it's even more ridiculous. Everyone has wanted to in over the last couple of years - why? Because it's the lure of easy money. Do next to no work and get paid 5%. In theory a great deal for them, but sooner or later reality has to catch up - and I believe it has.

GOOD realtors (which are rare) are the ones that realize you're a long-term investment and are willing to give you personal attention. They're career-minded and willing to put work and effort into working with you. Unfortunately the market has been overrun with deadbeats of the "flipper" mentality that just want to make a quick buck and work 15 hours a week to make $200k a year.

Given my druthers, I'd buy property sold "by owner" or sell my property "for sale by owner" any day just to contribute to the breakdown of this archaic and self-protective system. To the realtors here that might get offended by this - think you're worth 5%? Prove it. Tell me what you're going to do for ME. Specifically. Trial by fire - the fire of the free market. It's a great equalizer and imposer of honesty. The only realtors that should be worried are the deadbeat ones - a shift to "for sale by owner" thinking will actually help their industry by weeding out a lot of the deadbeats and making it not worth their whiles. Back to "work at home" businesses and stuffing envelopes for direct marketing companies for them. . .

Thanks for the web link - I'll be visiting that one regularly.