When buying a home, your real estate agent will often recommend a lender for you to use to get your loan.  Is this a recommendation that you should trust, or should you disregard your agent's advice?  Below are some pros and cons of using an agent-recommended lender:
 
Reliability
A big reason for a recommendation from your real estate agent is reliability.  A reliable lender is just as important for you, the borrower, as it is for the real estate agent.  A reliable lender helps to put a good taste in the borrower's mouth, whereas a bad experience with a lender could leave you with a bad experience to tell others about.  Being able to rely on a mortgage lender helps the home-buying deal close, and helps to give the borrower a strong level of confidence with the whole process.

Influence
There are times during the course of home buying that a real estate agent will need to cut through all the bureaucracy and get something done swiftly.  It is in these times that it is nice for your agent to have a certain amount of influence with a lender.  When a real estate agent recommends and is familiar with certain lenders, that agent can often use his or her influence to get things done quicker and more efficiently.

Familiarity
Sometimes people who search for their own lenders go with one who may have nice rates & terms, but may be unfamiliar with the type of loan they need.  For instance, you may be buying a new home, but the lender you choose is not familiar with new home loans.  This can cause setbacks in the loan process.  Real estate agents should be able to recommend a lender to you who is familiar with the type of loan you need, which can save you from any unnecessary periods of waiting.

Lack in Competitiveness
Because the recommendations of real estate agents may bring many customers to lenders, these lenders may not be as competitive as other lending companies.  The reason for this is that they feel they have captured your business, and don't need to offer you the best rates.  While it is nice when your real estate agent recommends a lender to you, you should still consider shopping around to find out where you can get great rates and terms.  It is always a smart idea to know what other lenders are offering before committing to a certain lender, because then you have leverage to get yourself low costs, good rates, and great service.