[Tristan Henderson]

have them find a property for me, negotiate a lease and return? Signed lease on my behalf without ever personally meeting landlord?

[MyHandsAreMadeOfPasta]

Depends on the situation. I've probably had every situation imaginable with rental deals but going through a realtor although rare was something I had to do once. In that instance it was the insistence of the the landlord them self so not my choice (strange little town where almost every rental was negotiated this way). If you find a realtor that's good they should know the area and be able to make anything happen you want but again sometimes it's not up to just you. Never hurts to try if you want to do it this way but my bigger issue is why would you want to? It introduces an unnecessary layer of service and therefore someone extra you have to pay more money to. Unnecessary in my opinion if you're physically and mentally capable of doing the work to find a rental to meet your own needs and wants. Not like checking craigslist, newspapers, flyers, trades, etc. are hard to do-never have been. To do it right you do need to expect it will take you some considerable time-more depending on what you're looking for and how picky you are. But hey, if this is the way you want to do this, knock yourself out. I'm sure there's a great realtor out there somewhere that'll be happy to take your money. Ummm, I'd be a chump if I didn't ask you to send me a check to pick up your mail or gas up your car for you-get back with me!