I disagree. I found a lot of value in my realtor learning what we were looking for in a house and only showing me the ones he thought we would like. Some things can't be reduced to search terms.
Now, whether or not that's worth the high percentage they skim off the top is a whole 'nother question.
I often find the process of mapping jargon takes one about halfway to expertise in many matters. Learning the search terms, their nuances, and their flexibility is work. There is value in someone who can translate my rambling into those terms.
> Now, whether or not that's worth the high percentage they skim off the top is a whole 'nother question.
This isn't how it works where I live. As a buyer, you pay no commission. The seller pays his agent a commission and your agent negotiates with the seller for a portion of that commission.
Now, whether or not that's worth the high percentage they skim off the top is a whole 'nother question.