There is definately going to be some cheating out there, how much is going to be hard to know. There is also certainly an element of making a heap out of not so much. Facts are for some buyers it is hard to get their foot in the door. I saw this in 2000 on lower priced houses while making offers in the ball park of asking. Buyers get anxious only to find they repeatedly are not getting to escrow on houses they choose. The buyers agent needs to cull most of the non-starters first, don’t waste you time on things you can not buy for one reason or another.Don’t write an offer with a loan type that won’t make it due to the condition of the house/condo( the listing agent can’t use it). In some cases writing multiple offers site unseen is a good way to go. I have had buyers give me four properties at a time in order of interest. We would write four offers and start viewing based on that order. We would get to escrow pretty quickly with a property that would succeed. I do not recommend this as standard proceedure of course. If the market allows for looking and patiently contemplating a deal that’s better. Sometimes submakets don’t allow for that and making a timely purchase.