Do you need a real estate agent if you will be buying a house using 'Gift of Equity'?

[Flint Marko]

Looking into buying a house from a family member using gift of equity to make the downpayment. I've heard that these sort of deals are usually the easiest to carry out and can typically save on additional costs such as inspection. Therefore, I'm wondering if a real estate agent will even be necessary for this? If not, what would I need to do on my end to make sure things go smoothly?

[Mark S. Fisher]

No, you do not. You can also have the same attorney since it is a family transaction. You can structure the gift of equity to cover the down payment and a seller's concession to cover the closing costs.