I agree that a good realtor will help you get the best buy. Perhaps someday buyers will have the information needed to determine a fair market value.

A good realtor shows you the homes you selected, and in addition, takes you to other homes which you may not even have considered, because they are a good buy and similar to what you like. They tell you the fair market value of the home you want to buy, based on the market trends. You cannot rely on past comps or zillow or the median to tell you the fair market value of a home. Without a realtor, how will a buyer know how much to offer? 10% under list price? How do you know if the list price is right? Get an appraisal? Can you trust that is accurate?

Realtors can negotiate a better deal than a buyer alone. For example, how many buyers would have thought to write up 3 offers, send out one at a time with a 24 hour expiration, and say “firm and final”. How many buyers can make it through the purchase process with a cool head, when emotions come up in regard to contingencies and repairs? How many buyers know what is the current common thing to ask for, i.e. closing costs, # of days for inspection, who pays the title report fees, if they should demand seller pays half of escrow fees or all of it. There are so many things in the contract…

How does a buyer know they are getting all the disclosures that are required? Can they bargain with the seller to get their side fairly represented?

I think buyers should ask their realtor for a refund, as SD Realtor suggested. I don’t think a buyer saves money by going alone. Sellers will not reduce their asking price just because you don’t have a realtor. They will try to split that savings, or pocket it themselves. They think since you have no realtor, that savings can go to them. So they will be harder on the repair list, thinking the buyer has so much extra money saved by not having a realtor. The seller’s realtor will take advantage of the inexperienced buyer in the contract. Why shouldn’t they? Perhaps the buyer has a lawyer who reviews the contract, but how knowledgeable is the lawyer about current RE practices, and what is paid by each side? That is not their specialty.

Ultimately, using a GOOD realtor will save the buyer more money, than trying to go it alone. I believe that, but I am willing to have my opinion changed.

I know there are people on this forum who do not like realtors, and I wonder if any of them would prefer to buy a house without a realtor, and what the advantages are that they see.