[peteretep]

Perhaps, but the recruiter's cut is based on your salary, and they also usually know how much the client is willing to pay - and quite possibly what they're previously paid for people of your calibre.

[michaelt]

If I ask for more money and the company says no, I can walk away and keep my current job, losing nothing. If a recruiter walks away they lose their huge commission.

Companies know this, so recruiters have no negotiating leverage.

[peteretep]

But if you walk away from the recruiter's offer, because they negotiated too shitty a deal for you, they also get nothing.

[Justen]

That's why I also made the comparison to real estate agents. They get commission as well.