Some phones calls to heirs is not labor intensive? How about several dozen phone calls to heirs that are not on speaking terms with each other and have diametrically opposed viewpoints? I would estimate that I make over 500 phone calls during the typical escrow. Valuable knowledge about properties comes from spending hundreds of hours looking at homes, researching neighborhoods, talking to agents, neighbors, clients, builders etc.

It is easy for someone on the outside to look at what we do and say this is an easy business. It isnt and the failure rate is among the highest in any industry. Success in this business is the result of hard work and carefull planning. While many are failing and losing interest these days, the good agents I know are working harder and growing market share. Sure there are lots of newcomers that jumped in for an easy buck. But the business is returning to normal and going back to the way it was. Good, honest hardworking agents will do well and will get paid what they are worth. Mediocre agents were always overpaid and will vanish as the size of the pie shrinks.