how to avoid DST high commisions?

[Alberto Cioni]

Soon I will sell my 1.3M rental propriety and I'm looking to 1031 into a DST. One of the biggest complaints with DSTs is the high cost/fees associated with them. A big part seems to be the broker commission (8-12% from what I have seen). Is it possible for an investor to work directly with a DST sponsor and "save" some/all of the commission that would have been paid to a broker? It's a pretty big chunk for the amount I'm looking to invest.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.