There is a cost of entry to obtain your license.....school, exam, licensing, hanging with a broker, MLS fees, lockbox key fees, Realtor association fees, etc.However, the benefits are vast for investors as you get real time access to mls, and access to properties at your convenience with your lockbox key.  

That said, in many circumstances it might help. it's a gamble at best imoI also assume this is for a retail primary home, if it's for an investment house then I really hate this idea.

Some "gurus" do mention credit card down - mostly using the "convenient" or cash advance checks that come in the mail sometimes with your account statements.

We find it be more convenient to our case.

I gambled on the cheap solution and lost.

The newfound sellers clouded the title so now we're stuck doing nothing with the property.Ever since we contacted the title company to file a claim, they've been dodging our calls and coming up with a lot of very convenient excuses, such as "the title attorney is on lunch," "our systems are down," etc. 

Make things easy and convenient for your potential seller or buyer.

I love there it’s a very convenient location and pricing remains stable.

Most major management companies offer this anymore so it will eventually become unusual to not accept rent electronically, it is more convenient for everyone as long as all parties know what they're doing.

If I give a free month as incentive I am guaranteed the lose of $3500, if I take the gamble and not collect the deposit, I’m hedging my bet that the tenant wont trash the place, and therefore less likely to lose $3500 bucks.