[civility]

> But considering that in the US it's the seller who pays both agents, there are no immediate savings for potential buyers [...]

This is all part of the scam, and I'm surprised more people can't see through it. Five people walk into a room at closing. There are two agents, a title agent, the seller, and the buyer. Only the buyer brings any money - so it's pretty clear who is paying.

Put it another way - if the seller goes with a lower percentage agent, then the buyer keeps more of the offer price, and should therefore accept a slightly lower offer. This saves the buyer money too.

> Among some not so obvious valuable tidbits that the buyer's agent can provide: [...]

And you think that's worth 6% of a house that costs hundreds of thousands of dollars? I think that's insane.

This all sounds like a pitch from a realtor.

[prostoalex]

Fair enough. Those commissions do compress as the house prices climb into 7- or 8-digit ranges, and there are always discount agents. The one in my area buys billboards that promise selling the house for 3% flat.

I was hoping perhaps someone from the industry could comment on why those agents haven't overtaken the market by storm.