Real estate agents rank near the bottom in trust polls — so why do most home buyers still use them in Florida?

I was reading the latest Gallup Honesty and Ethics of Professions Poll and something interesting stood out.

The most recent survey (Dec 2025 poll released Jan 2026):

surveyed 21 professions
real estate agents ranked in the lower third
only about 17% of Americans rate their honesty/ethics as high or very high

Yet when you look at actual transactions, most homes are still bought and sold through agents.

I started digging into why that might be the case, especially here in Florida.

A few structural reasons stood out.

Licensing rules

If someone wants to represent another person in a real estate transaction and receive compensation, they must be licensed by the Florida Real Estate Commission (FREC).

That means coursework, passing the state exam, and working under a broker.

However, owners can always sell their own property without a license.

Brokerage disclosure requirements

Florida requires agents to provide a Brokerage Relationship Disclosure before or at the time certain interactions occur (including showings).

It explains whether the brokerage is acting as:

single agent
transaction broker
no brokerage relationship

Many brokerages also ask buyers to sign a buyer representation agreement before touring homes, although that is usually brokerage policy rather than state law.

MLS access

Most homes in Southwest Florida are marketed through the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) used by Realtor boards.

Those listings feed sites like Zillow, Redfin, and Realtor.com.

Private sellers generally cannot place homes directly in the MLS unless they use a brokerage or flat-fee service.

Contract complexity

Florida residential transactions typically use standardized contracts with detailed provisions covering things like:

financing contingencies
inspection periods
escrow deposits
title insurance
closing timelines

For many buyers and sellers that process is complicated enough that they prefer professional help.

The interesting question

Even with relatively low trust rankings, agents are still involved in most residential transactions.

Is that because they provide real value, or because the system itself is structured around them?

Curious what people here think, especially anyone who has bought or sold in Florida.