1. Half of consumers are dumb enough to hire their Aunt Becky who sells two properties a year if they’re lucky. They basically have as much experience as the consumer. So yeah, if you’re dumb enough to do that then you might as well sell it yourself. But then again, if you’re dumb enough to make that hire, maybe you’re too dumb to represent yourself.

2. If two fairly reasonable parties are involved in the sale, the average CBer can also probably do it himself. Those transactions are fairly easy for realtors. If one of the parties is unreasonable or conniving and you’re dealing with buy/sell timing and deadlines, moving across country for a new job, etc. then things can get ugly really fast. One bad escrow can royally screw up your other escrow. The way it sits now, the commission to a competent agent is almost like an insurance policy against the really bad stories you hear (or maybe you don’t hear, based on naive CB posts).