[quote=justme]
. . .There is no way that siphoning off 6% of each transaction will get either buyer or seller as good a deal as they otherwise would have. . . .

.[/quote]

I guess the basic question is this – most professionals bill on an hourly basis. Sometimes, a flat fee is arranged. Why won’t real estate agents/brokers offer those options? My accountant charges me for the time he spends, not the amount of my income or return. I have no question that agents can provide a service. It’s just that in many cases I believe they are overcompensated. I know that they are also under compensated when a buyer looks at a hundred houses and never buys, or a seller prices too high to attract buyers. But if those same buyers and sellers had to pay their agents for their time, they might be more practical in terms of what they asked of their agents.

Interestingly, interior decorators generally doesn’t offer an option for hourly payment either. I think people get caught up in the image that their home presents, and their emotions cause them to pay more than they should. Which is another possible explanation for the prevalence of women in both fields.