I can see where a buyer’s agent is sometimes needed like with 1st time buyers that need a lot of assistance in getting the home loan.
I tell sellers to try to sell it yourself 1st, one story I heard was where the realtor was planting the for sale sign and the next door neighbor came over and bought the house.
The old adage “You get what you pay for” may come into play here.
If I negotiate and low-ball the agent’s fee, they are ethicallly free to consider me as at the bottom of their client list and work for my interests whenever they can get to it and/or choose to.
Yes, if they except my offer, they’d be bound to provide services but, as I see it, the intensity of their effort may be directly proportional my to willingness to bid for their service.