It's Harder To Play Without an Agent

A real estate agent who knows the local marketplace can find you the right property and get you the best deal by negotiating effectively. That's where the agent really earns the commission. Negotiating price and terms without an intermediary is difficult because it's so easy for either or both parties to become emotional and blow a perfectly feasible purchase. 

In addition, real estate agents generally act as project managers. We follow the deal through until closing. Sometimes when things don't go exactly as planned, we must also be peace keepers.