Do I need a buyer's agent?

[Emily Laughlin]

I'm looking for my first deal and have been doing a lot of research on BP (podcasts, forums, books, etc). I'd like to start with a multi-family if possible. I've been analyzing deals using the various calculators and have some of my own cash to get started.

I'm wondering if not using a buyer's agents sweetens my offer to a seller, who then only pays one agent, not two. Am I missing something? Is this common?

If I do need an agent, what specific things would an agent bring to a deal that I could miss?