Realtors:  Educate your buyers so that you are less likely to lose them...
I just got off the phone with a friend of mine who was a Realtor but got out of the business.  He had one last deal he was working on and just found out that his client found a home online - Realtor.com.  The client called the listing agent on the property and made an offer and completely cut my friend out of the loop.
While we were discussing this we were wondering if he thought he was going to save some money since only one agent would be involved.  Of course, both my friend and I knew that the truth of the matter would be that he would not get proper representation going straight to the listing agent since she really represents the seller AND he would also not save any money since the listing agent would make the entire 6% commission that is paid by the SELLER - not the buyer.  
My friend didn't say whether he had eductated the buyer about these things and I didn't want to ask in case he hadn't, but I did want to post this story so that any Realtor who reads this will see how important it is to educate your buyers.  When I meet with clients, I always educate them about what loans they would qualify for and what their options are and which loan is the best loan for them relative the their stated goals - usually the lowest monthly payment.  I also talk to them about other lenders from a perspective of where I have worked (big bank, broker, and mortgage bank) and the typical strategies of many loan officers to try to get business.  I still lose a deal every now and then but of the few that I've lost, I've had a few come back to me after the fact and tell me they wish they had stayed with me because what I told them would happen ended up happening.  Hopefully your clients will stay with you and get the benefit of your expertise and services and they are more likely to stick with you until the end if you educate them properly.  

Have a great weekend.  I'm available at 702-812-1214 if you have any lending questions or need a pre-approval for a client.