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By SUSAN STELLIN

Published: September 15, 2011

IN this do-it-yourself era of online real estate listings, it is easy to find out what is on the market, visit open houses and even research sales data to come up with a reasonable price to offer for a home.

So why should a buyer bother using an agent?

In a nutshell: to protect his or her interests in an expensive, often complex purchase that can become even more complicated by the labyrinthine co-op approval process in New York City.

A buyer who relies on the seller’s agent to handle both sides of the deal may not hear about problems with the apartment or the building, or have a real advocate during contract negotiations.

“Wh...