Leads, Bird Dog/Jobber

[William MacBride]

Hi,
As I look over the options for getting started in real estate I find that what looks the most feasible right now is being whats called a bird dogger or jobber. I have virtually no money to even invest to begin with.
I need to clear up some basic confusion as to how "leads," potential properties attractive to investors, are generated. First off, why is there such a need for bird dogs or jobbers (I read theyre virtually the same thing) if people can just browse websites? Its relatively easy I'd imagine to for an FSBO seller to post their property on a website. And real estate agents have even more latitude with the multiple listing service (MLS).
So does a bird dogger or jobber browse websites and get a 3000 dollar fee for finding something a rehabber or other investor could have found just as easily by doing some sort of real estate site web search in their area? It just doesn't make too much sense.
If somebody could outline what a bird dogger actually does, what function they serve, and how best for a newbie in it to get started I'd appreciate it.

Thanks,
Will