It's all a trade off.

@Alex CorderoNo if the LLC is not publicly traded.

What type of startup are you doing that is affiliated with the construction and real estate trades?

A highly experienced agent cannot only save you after or during a transaction from avoiding potential lawsuits through well written contracts and know the in's and out's of the transaction process, but they can also save you thousands through great negotiation skills.

Worse yet, I've now seen a few people on forums and over emails repeatedly refer certain contractors or trades in exchange for a cut of the business.

Know your market, amenities, materials cost, labor time, and skill level compared to where rent levels can go, and you should be fine.

I'm willing to trade these leads in order to become someone's "assistant" so that I can get MLS access.

Find something that interest you and focus on developing the skills within that category.

Find a lawyer who does evictions exclusively (not a jack of all trades lawyer) in the county the home is in, because in our area, evictions take a real long time and if its screwed up it takes even longer since you have to start over.

I agree that the trade usually pays off if you know what you are doing and use sensible amounts of leverage.