MLB:
Speaking of "Spamalot", this thread is a "shining" example of wy American Surveyors need to lose their smug provincial attitudes.
MLB
As a rule, I haven't had a great, or even good, experience with most realtors. When I went into business, I was told I had to buddy up to them to "get business".
Well, that was bad advice. Some of my most expensive lessons stemmed from that advice.
There have been a few notable exceptions, however. A few local ones have been good to work with and understand when things come apart; usually when corners were cut previously - no surprise to most of you. I like to work with professionals that can, and do understand what we do and the important part we play in a transaction, not that we just "fax them something for the closing" (there better be no problems!) and can charge $200 tops.
I don't think it's any surprise to us that realtors try to get in the neighborhood of 7% of a transaction, which on a $500,000 property, is $35,000. Lately they haven't been getting that all the time, but even half of that is a pretty hefty amount.
I don't think I have a "smug provincial attitude"; rather a series of painful lessons I'd as soon not repeat and the perspective that the above paragraph imparts.
I think a good land attorney is a much more helpful professional, and there my associations have been much better. Even I would very seldom buy a property without an attorney, and I advise my clients to get a good attorney that specializes in land law; divorce experience won't help in this business.