MORE BUYERS ARE DITCHING THEIR AGENTS AND SHOP ON THEIR OWN

Home Buyers go hunting alone by rejecting the services of a buyer's agent.

The buyers who purchased a property through a real estate agent just 57% had buyer representation in 2010, according to a report by the National Association of Realtors. That's down from 62% in 2009 and 64% in 2006, before the housing bust.

Also, fewer buyers are first learning about the home they purchase from real estate agents: just 37% are reporting real estate agents as their first source of information on the home they purchased, down from 50% a decade ago, according to NAR.

Bottom line: The trend is that U.S. home buyers are doing it themselves with the help of the internet and smart phones.

After years of trepidation, home buyers are finally beginning to wade back into the housing market. But as they do, many are making the surprising choice to hunt alone, rejecting the assistance of what's known in real estate as a buyer's agent. Smart home sellers that use companies like Homeowners Concept benefit the most from this trend by not having to pay a buyer's agent.