the &quot;cash back&quot; is nice, but I&#x27;m more talking about finding the right house (more important I think!)<p>With redfin you can (and, are required) to do your own discovery: finding the house you think are potential candidates and touring them.  Redfin has an associate go with you to the houses you are interested in to show you around&#x2F;answer questions.<p>For me, it took about 4 house tours before I figured out the house type I was aiming for.  After that, then next 10 or so tours was just trying to find a house that offered the best bang for the buck (based on what I was looking for)<p>Ultimately, if you have the time available to do this kind of footwork, Redfin offers you &quot;choice&quot; that you won&#x27;t get from an agent.  However if you are time constrained or not willing to put in 40 hours over a few months to find your perfect house, then a traditional agent will be better.<p>Also keep in mind that I&#x27;m in the Seattle area, which is Redfin (and Zillow&#x27;s) hometown, and as per the original article, maybe in other regions redfin&#x27;s listings may not be as comprehensive?