Shouldn't buying and selling a home today be a flat rate of $500 or $1000?
Furthermore, while many buyers may enjoy sites like Zillow, Redfin, Trulia, and so forth, if you are buying in a new town/city or area you are unfamiliar with, relying on a local experienced agent can help a buyer avoid costly mistakes, or worse, end up over- (or under-) valuing property and missing a good deal or an opportunity they likely should have taken.
Buyers also may wish to avoid paperwork and other hassles that an agent will take care of for them. Is an agent still a pretty penny in terms of costs? Absolutely but people still do it, every day.
For a more sophisticated buyer with some time to devote to the process, they may not wish to use an agent in fact may not.
I seen no valid reason a flat rate of $500 to $1000 per sale is not reasonable.