Originally posted by @Edward B.:
But if you have the money and don't want the hassle then there is nothing wrong with hiring a professional to do their job.
Actually, there can be a lot of things wrong with that. First of all, if you have a rental house then it is an investment designed to make you money. Hiring an realtor is an really big expense you do not need.
Additionally, many, many times they will find you a bad tenant. They have no motivation to do otherwise. They get paid when they place a tenant in your home. It's not their home - they just take the money and run. They are not responsible for the tenant, and what they might do. They don't bother to find quality tenants or screen them as well as you probably would. They put the first person they can in your house.
This is the exact same reason why when something needs fixed I almost always do it myself. When somebody else does it, who is not the owner and has no vested interest in the property, they usually do a worse job.
"If you want something done right you have to do it yourself".