I'm writing this as an agent and investor/wholesaler. It's worth paying if you're utilizing him/her, getting calls 2 x week. Because at the end of the day you will be loosing out, not the agent. Listings are very important for agents. It's a chance for a decent commission (vs. the commission made on 20k houses) and listings help further our careers. Yes it is a career lol. There's a BP article on working with agents which says "you want to keep your agent happy". This is very true. I worked with a particular investor. I did tons of work, found all kinds of homes, did non stop repair estimates in not such great areas and wrote tons of offers (not complaining because I understand that's what it takes to work with real estate investors). We closed on several properties. Then we had a little "squabble" over a few hundred dollars. Also, this individual didn't want me to list a house I helped to find and closed on. Guess what? When I find good deal this individual is not at the top of my list, a list that keeps growing weekly it seems. Believe me it's not worth it. Maybe try to negotiate the fee with the agent? I don't know. Also, the heading of "agent wants 2% for not selling a house" to get paid for not selling a house" is, frankly speaking, offensive. That's not what's going on here. It's about building trusting, ongoing relationships, not someone just being "greedy".
