In a capitalist society, people act in their own interest. There’s no dispute to that, and without this imperative, there would be no market. Likewise, listing real estate agents have to represent their sellers.
But there are some whoppers: I’m called to an old two story brick building (probably a c. 1890 dairy or ice house) which had been converted to a single family home. The listing agent was kind enough to warn me before the appointment, of a nasty snarling dog at the yard next door… the message being, if I didn’t want my calves and thighs to become a meal, I might want to skip looking at the side of this building.
The side of the building was about as straight and plumb as a bowling ball. (The walls of the two story building used to be “tied in” by the floor joists that went from one side to the other; when the joists were cut for “open floorplan”, the walls lost their support and bulged out considerably.) What’s quaint is that the agent thought an inspector wouldn’t notice this from inside, or, say, from a half block away!
Seldom will a brick DIY side wall fall apart like this, but frame buildings very often sag…and this is often exacerbated by human error. Let this be a clarion call to all Craigslist rehabbers: frame buildings need walls and ceilings for their walls to be tied together!!!