They make the money because they really are professionals, they act in their client's best interest, they often either save buyers or make sellers money in the aggregate because of their expertise, and they make that money through repeat clients and referrals. And yet, the general public paints them with the same brush they paint that part time agent that got their license on a lark because they like pretty houses.

The attrition rate in real estate is tremendous. If you hire a Realtor with less than two years experience, odds are very high that next year your Realtor will no longer be a Realtor. And those inexperienced, part-time Realtors are desperate for any clients they can get. You want to list your house well above market? "No problem." They'll tell you whatever they can to get their sign in your yard. An experienced Realtor will not take your listing. You are wasting their time and time is money.

People make the mistake of assuming their nice neighbor or cousin or ward member or someone sharing their ethnicity brings the same skill set to the table as any other Realtor. They don't. And frankly, most brokers are not great at babysitting...plus they get a 50% cut of a new agent's commission. Once a Realtor gets good, they are making 75-85% of the commission and the broker is getting the rest. So if a broker manages to sell 10 houses with amateurs staggering through a transaction, he makes a lot more money than he does from that Realtor who moves 10 by him/her self. So the broker will hire anyone...and only provide enough supervision to stay out of court. He likes those experienced agents too...they are steady and he doesn't have to babysit them. But he doesn't get as much of their money...so..."sure you can be an agent for me."

The home is the biggest investment most people make. Don't put that in the hands of an amateur. Hire that old lady that's been doing it for 20 years, doesn't screw around, and doesn't promise you the world. She'll move your home or be an effective advocate in buying. That hot chick...she's going to be doing office work next year. She's not the droid you are looking for.