maybe because its not on the market yet and that could be valuable to some.Personally I dont always understand the people who want "off market" it seems like there is a ton to make off of listed property easily accessible.  

You will also have direct access to the MLS in your area to find properties and put offers in fast on good buys. 

Everything in Cleveland and the surrounding suburbs (a population of 2.5million) are accessible by about 1 hour drive every which way you put it. 

It's pretty easy to do where I market, but some areas don't have access on line. 

I run comps all day and have access to the MLS.

Crowd Funding gives me access to deals I wouldn't normally have access to which is appealing.

So a 400k appraisal would get you a 1st for 320k fixed rate2nd heloc(variable rate) 40kThat puts 105k in your pocket and access to another 40k if needed. 

My main reasons for it is MLS access, networking with more people, and better understanding of the different markets.

If you are looking for access to listings then you might as well just hire a buyer's agent from Loopnet and they can search all the listings for you.

going through the courses and spending the money is brain damage, but if you can afford the time and the association dues (everything about NAR and being a realtor all comes down to paying dues) and you're serious about doing this for yourself and you're smart about it, having access to more information than the general public will give you a competitive edge.However, very few things will ever beat good'ol fashion hustle.