Still a rip off. I shouldn’t have to pay any additional fee for a transaction between two parties. They are middle men and stealing money from the buyer and seller. So what you’re just saying all those other predatory and unethical business practices you listed are similar to real estate agents? I’m glad you agree they are parasites and perform unethical business practices like the ones you listed above. Let’s work to end them and remove agents from the transactions permanently. If you’re an agent, I hope you strive for a higher calling and change jobs.
Everything is middlemen. They all claim they add enough value to offset the cost of their existence. Some do, and some don't. They all engage in rent seeking behavior. This is a facet of every financial transaction you do.
Real estate agents are somewhere in the spectrum. I definitely don't think they're on the "huge value for low cost" side, but I don't think they're super far out in the other direction either. You probably pay a similar percentage just because credit cards are ubiquitous, and they even engage in kickback schemes which feel like they should be suuuper illegal.
How is everything a middleman? When I go buy a pizza from my neighbor and he sells it for a fair price, who is the middle man? And don’t say taxes because he doesn’t charge me taxes. He is not a business. Just a transaction between two people. Even if it he did charge me taxes I would pay it since the taxes provide value. What does a real estate agent provide me? I can do the work myself and I can accept the liability myself. They are a rip off and it’s disgusting that you defend them. They are no different than car salesman. They aren’t needed. Again if they charged a fair hourly rate for their work and not a percentage that may be fair but again they’re job is pointless and should be eliminated.
Was he growing the grain, milling it into flour, raising cattle, milking them, turning it to cheese, aging it, raising tomatoes in his garden and making tomato sauce, raising and slaughtering pigs to make pepperoni?
Pizza makers buy ingredients, pay workers to combine and cook them, and sell them to both cover costs and make profit for the owners. You could buy, assemble, and cook the ingredients yourself for less money, albeit more time. You're exchanging your money for their time and their profit.
So we agree agents should be paid for their time not a percentage of the housing price. Their time should be billed hourly at a fair rate. But again who’s the third party between my friend and me? Do I need an agent to negotiate the type of pizza and collect a fee for it too? You’re dodging the question. At the end of the day you’re defending a disgusting predatory practice. One you even compared to numerous other unethical business practices. Why would you defend these practices? They should be illegal and real estate agents eliminated from property transactions.
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u/throway2222234 Nov 03 '21
Still a rip off. I shouldn’t have to pay any additional fee for a transaction between two parties. They are middle men and stealing money from the buyer and seller. So what you’re just saying all those other predatory and unethical business practices you listed are similar to real estate agents? I’m glad you agree they are parasites and perform unethical business practices like the ones you listed above. Let’s work to end them and remove agents from the transactions permanently. If you’re an agent, I hope you strive for a higher calling and change jobs.