Some agents have relationships with inspectors and lawyers. While this looks and feels convenient to the first time home buyer, we (along with thousands of others) learned the hard way that it just isn't. All too often, inspectors "miss" things thus encouraging the buyers to go through with the deal (benefitting the agent) and the agent to continue singing their praises (benefitting the inspector).
More than once, I wondered if I should have sued our inspector for the things he "missed." (Not frivolous things) I recently read an article that shed some light on this being a problem for many homebuyers and kind of shrieked in solidarity with the people mentioned in the article.
So, basically, to avoid any conflict of interest, I will refuse to do business with an inspector suggested by a real estate agent. I paid somebody for either incompetence or the willfull withholding of information, both of which benefited my real estate agent while causing physical and financial harm to me.