Instead they can go sell a 300k house with home builders offering commission bonuses on top of the 3% commission etc.Sounds like you need to go to your local REIA and find an agent that only focuses on residential investors and does volume to make up for the low commissions.

I did more in volume as a part-time agent than many in my market do as a full-time agent.

I'm really looking to build out a large portfolio and mitigate risk using volume.

@John Chapman,  I understand your point and I agree that it does take some combination of time and volume to speak authoritatively. 

When an agent in San Jose confidently says "based on my experience..." they are leaving out the part where that "experience" is 2 or 3 transactions a year, $3m in volume (an SFR and 2 condos).Look long and hard in a small town in a rural California area (nothing to be found under the rocks), and you might find one or two agents that are good.

Agreed on using the DBA first; however, a big part of this question to ask if how much volume do you expect?

I am having fun transitioning from Construction Company Controller in high volume new residential construction (did that 14 years until 2011), to restaurant owner (2011) (Loved serving people but hated working saturday night) to now basically a researcher/developer & project manager- having fun doing everything from designing small efficient houses to build, rehabbing existing small homes and adding master suites to them, and also in my free time trying to flip the occasional business.

Never had to deal w/ the volume.

She works mainly with large volume builders but she does help occasional investors as well.

No one has a problem paying $5 per FSBO and usually they buy in volume depending on what they can afford and their target area.