I couldn't agree more. I know they are working on similar issues and solutions for them. The lightning network is one of them. If they get everything up and running, it should allow for direct, real-time exchanges between individuals, ignoring the exchanges.
My only real concern there is how we will determine how much something is worth. Most of our prices right now come from the exchanges, because there is a consensus of value. If we do away with the exchange, we somewhat do away with that concenses (aka the centralized element), which makes it harder to determine a consistent price.
If this can be done though, then a decentralized peer-to-peer exchange system with very little-to-no fees would be excellent!