And with my third row seat explorer and a creative niche I may be able to compete with the local taxi service.

Good luck, and if the cars are anything cool/classic/unique give me a shout!

I was wondering if you could post some unique and creative things you have done to get a deal to close.

Buyers agency is sometimes confusing and varies by state law, some states and companies require the realtor to inform the client who's behalf they are working for, and still the commission is paid by the seller... this being different than hiring an agent with a set finders fee, when in reality that is the only way you can truly represent the best interest of the buyer... an agent with out that isn't going to work hard to get the price down usually and therefor lower the commission, there are exceptions such as loyalty, professionalism etc, most established agents know or should up front if they want to work with a particular type of buyer, some don't even work with buyers and will only work listing side,  if they know this they have a list of other agents they work with that may be newer, hungrier or plain just love a certain niche, say rentals, first time buyer, commercial etc... in many offices rentals go to the newer agents, lower commissions, less contingencies, faster closing to commission, a more experienced agent has a fuller list of clientele already, say investors.. that they have as time priorities, some agents may think they can stick with the bigger payout exclusively and they went hungry when the market soured,  were very poor at referring and public tact,  I started out in the beginning just like many but always supplemented with a rental or two a month,  had my pocket investor that had a very nice portfolio of 1br rentals, if any foreclosures came up in one of three condo developments they were guaranteed sales and was my job to make sure he knew about them first,  on that respect I was his buyers agent, finding and follow through on his behalf, the difference of sale price I negotiated  was worth the repeat business, as a main stream I represented a subdivision builder and usually referred many used home sales to a coworker if outside of the subdivision, was also a mentor to 2 newer agents, time management and if you represent both sides duel agency kicks in , not one side, yes double commission, but double the work and double sided representation , again in most states signing an agency is usually confined and limit to the individual transaction unless you specifically hire for a set finders fee, yes even if you signed paperwork, if you read the paperwork, you signed that the agent informed you of your rights and you understood them not that there was any exclusiveness involved, or guarantees , there have been lawsuits on commissions when an exclusive contract is signed or there is a dispute as to who originally introduced the property or showed it, say when an agent feels a buyer or seller went around to lower a commission or price, exclusive contracts are extremely rare, they would usually read I will work x hrs a week to find giga properties in xyz with set criteria  in return for $xxxx and return buyer will only pay realtor me or work exclusively, so till you actually purchase you do not have a contract with the agent just an agreement for intent if you do.

This is a classic market niche like any other successful business.

Your tenant will be out in a matter of months and you'll have to repurpose the area.As with any industry, there will always be room for the little guys if they can find some niche that serves a market segment not covered by the big boys. 

Listen to the podcast and other resources, find the niche that calls your name, get educated on it, and last but not least TAKE ACTION.

Scott The Book on Flipping Houses,The Book on Estimating ReHab Costshttp://www.biggerpockets.com/flippingbookLocate and attend 3 different local REIA club meetings great place to meet people gather resources and info.Consider checking out HUD homes for small multi's owner occupied gets first crack.You might consider Niche or Specialized Housing like student housing.

It's interesting to think about the new real estate market trends, niches, and possibilities of the future.  

Really get to know your chosen niche and market area.