Real estate agents are professionals who help in connecting the buyer to the seller. A lot of real estate agents also do rentals wherein they connect tenants to landlords and even maintain the property on the behalf of the landlords. The real estate agents work by linking together the two interested parties and charging a commission for their services.
For sales, they charge commission only to the seller but for rentals (i.e. agent managed rentals) the commission is charged to both parties involved in the transaction. Real estate agents generally calculate their fee as a percentage of the selling price (in case of sales) and as part of the rent (for rentals). People, who want to sell/let their property, leave the details of their property with the real estate agent (and in fact, even leave the keys of the house so that the real estate agent can arrange for viewings without them getting into any hassle). The other interested party (i.e. the buyer/tenant), gets access to this information by contacting the real estate agent. That’s how the real estate agents become a hub of information.
A lot of home buyers and investors use the services of Realtors for getting good deals but also getting information on the newest properties available. Realtors are the most familiar with the market situation and it makes sense to approach them to get an idea of the current market value for properties in that region. Realtors know the prices of various properties types in various locations and are always able to give a Current Market Evaluation to determine what a property might be worth.
A home owner thinking of selling a property can get often get several thousand more for a property when following the advice received from a good Realtor. A good Realtor will also look at and follow the needs of a home buyer and try to make suggestions on the type of property that could be available within their budget.
So a great real estate agent will not only throw out a list of current properties for sale to the buyer but will actually determine the needs and make suitable suggestions. This works to the benefit of both the client and the real estate agent. Firstly, if the Realtor is able to sell the house they get a commission and secondly, if the Realtor makes the buyer happy they earn a good reputation.

The real estate investment market has seen considerable growth in the recent past. The price of homes is on the rise, and relaxation of many demands and regulations on investors has stirred significant interest from many new economic groups. Lenders have lowered credit score requirements, and waived some previously standard documentation.

For these and other reasons, newcomers have flocked in record numbers to this game. None of this, however, will guarantee a profit on your investment. As you increase the dollar amount of your investment, so do you also increase the associated risk.

It would be wise to become familiar with a few different forms of insurance available to real estate investors.

Title and liability insurance are among the most common. Title insurance is designed to protect against issues that arise over the legal transfer of title from seller to buyer. A title company will search necessary databases to ensure that the property is free associated burdens, so that it may legally change hands. This type of insurance will cover potential economic loss as a result of these and other paperwork, filing, and tax issues.

Liability insurance protects a property owner against injuries incurred on or as a result of using the property. The insurance does not cover the property owner, but rather it was designed for injuries sustained by a third party. So when the door-to-door vacuum salesman slips on his way up your walk, you can rest easy, because your liability insurance will cover his medical bills and any resulting settlement lawsuit.

There are many other forms of insurance, which have been designed to cover any number of possible mishaps. Hazard insurance, for example, will cover damage resulting from earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, flooding, fire (natural), and dozens of other factors beyond human control.

You can buy insurance for chemical spills, fire (from, say, a candle), electrical failures, vandalism or theft, faulty plumbing or wiring, and so forth. There’s even a policy designed specifically to cover large appliance failure.

Landlords may purchase insurance to cover lapses in rent payment, tenant-related damage to the property, and abandonment.

If you finance your property with a loan, the lender will likely require that you purchase mortgage insurance, which pays out to a lender (not you) in the event of default or disaster.

The price of insurance varies according to the degree of coverage desired, and the associated deductible. Read the policies carefully, noting any fine-print issues which may be used later to deny coverage. There is no law requiring that you use a specific insurance company, so do your research first. Shop around, and look for the greatest coverage at the least out-of-pocket expense. Find the policy that is best-suited to your particular needs.