Craigslist, Kijiji and MLS Questions

Hi all, First off I would like to say that I have been really enjoying reading all the different topics listed on the forum. It is very informative and some great advice has been given. I can tell that it is very genuine and for that I am glad to see there are good decent people residing in the DR. Thanks to all those that have shared their experiences and knowledge.

Upon reading the many topics around renting or purchasing property listed on the forum and hearing the expert opinions from expats, I keep asking myself the following  two questions:

1. If the topic is about renting, the expats offer the advice that you must be in the DR 'with boots on the ground' in order to find a decent and cheap place to rent. Why is that? With today's digital age and mostly everyone has computers, why can't good deals be found on the web such as craigslist or kijiji?Just trying to understand why things are different there then in North America.

2.  If the topic is about purchasing property, why are Realtors or Real estate offices in the DR not utilizing MLS to share their property listings? This type of sharing amongst each other is very beneficial for all, I would think. At the end of the day, isn't having their property sold their main concern? I would like to understand why they don't want to collaborate.

I feel there are answers to my questions but not quite able to understand it by reading through the many threads.

Thanks to anyone who can share their input.
Chantsy