There is a reason why 90% of homes placed on the market without an agent don't sell and wind up being listed with an agent. I think you overestimate the average

There is a reason why 90% of homes placed on the market without an agent don't sell and wind up being listed with an agent. I think you overestimate the average person's capacity to navigate a transaction without losing a ton of money. I once thought more like you do, but have seen too many cases where people were just not capable of much of anything without a lot of help. Those people would be destroyed on the open market without an advocate, and every professional advocate will require payment. Agents earn about 1.5% per side once brokers take their commission. They are usually worth the money.