[gaia]

Sorry, the IQ/brain capacity/"insert a term that you are comfortable" with here required to be a lawyer is much higher than to be a real estate agent. It is much more accessible to the avg person to do at least 80% of the work an agent does, especially on the buy side. And count on AI doing 100% of it, on both buy and sell sides, much better and cheaper than real estate agents, in a matter of a couple of years, if not months.

The main reason RE agents play a significant role is the artificial stronghold around the MLS. It's not their Nobel prize winning brains providing irreplaceable services.

[poulsbohemian]

Good sir, I've met some fucking dumb lawyers in my day, so I'm not sure why you are holding them up as a pillar of intelligence. Nobody said anything about intelligence here anyway - what I said was, real estate agents, like lawyers, financial planners, librarians, and pretty much every career on the planet exist because they have specialized knowledge and skills. You think you can replace what I do with AI? Why don't you come on over and do a ride along with me on a typical day - I bet you'll change your mind. Zillow, Redfin, and plenty of others have been trying for more than a decade to replace us and they aren't making much progress.

The MLSs? Do you have any idea what it was like prior to their existence and how much the public has benefited from the improvement in information asychronicity? Zillow et al stand on their shoulders. You don't like it, you try replicating what the MLSs do.