Not using a realtor for simple all cash deals

[Tom J.]

Hey Everyone.  What do you think about buying real estate without using a real estate agent?  Especially for simple properties, I don’t think this is all that complex. 

The trick is you need to get in to see the properties. You can ask the seller’s agent to show the property to you, but then would they ask for more than the 3 percent commission they usually get from the seller (since they did a big of extra work)?

I am planning to scale up buying properties to rent (using cash), and am not too keen on having an agent gobble up 3 percent when I haven’t found them to be hugely value-added (unlike the inspectors whom I swear by). I welcome your thoughts.

[Derrick E.]

Originally posted by @Tom J.:

Thanks to all of you who have replied to this thread.  Helped a lot with perspective.

Tom,

I buy homes with cash as well. Here is how I handle it. If the property is an off-market deal or a FSBO then I go the lone wolf route with no agent.

If the property is listed in a way where the seller has an agent representing them then I will contact and go through my agent.