Anyone purchasing or selling a home is at the mercy of real estate agents who often seem to hold all the cards. Many people who go through this process end up feeling disempowered and resentful. Catriona MacLennan reveals the secrets behind real estate speak: why agents will always push you to sell your house by auction, why they won't let you talk directly to potential buyers - who are they really working for anyway? Catriona MacLennan also explores the alternatives to selling and buying through an agent, and how the internet is fast changing the real estate scene. For anyone about to embark on a real estate sale or purchase, the information contained in this book is critical. The author relates her own experience as a home seller/purchaser and applies her legal expertise and her investigative, journalistic skills to find out what is really going on in real estate transactions.