I had a similar experienced, though I'm biased by being related to an agent, but having worked with good ones and bad ones, there can be a difference. Bad agents are glorified door unlockers and sign placers, but good ones have experience marketing, know the market well enough to make recommendations, help with staging and making a property attractive, and advocating for their client during sales. If the game was different, maybe they'd be redundant, but a good agent is a real ally and can move a house quickly.