Can a real estate agent represent themself when buying a house?

[Maxwell Milholland]

Hello all, I am just wondering if anybody has any insight into something I’ve been wondering about. I was under the impression that it was perfectly fine and legal for an agent to represent themself when buying a home (and keep the buyers agent commission). However, I recently attended a homeowner workshop, at which the instructor was convinced that such a practice was illegal in New York. Is this practice state specific or was she mistaken? Any advice is greatly appreciated!