real estate agents and investing

[Robert Carpenter]

 I'm new to investing and curious about the relationship between real estate investors and real estate agents.  It seems to me that when an agent can't sell a house and the listing expires the agent would be eager to sell and an investor eager to buy the expired listing as a lead for a potential rent to buy deal. When a house buyer fails to qualify for a mortgage it likewise seems that an agent would be eager to sell and and investor eager to buy the non-qualified buyer as a rent to buy lead. In both instances as you'd be paying a real estate agent for real estate services  this seems to me to be totally kosher. 

If someone was able to develop good relations with real estate agents it seems to me that all by itself that would create a virtual machine for finding both houses to buy and buyers to buy them by way of a lease option deal.