Can an Agent act as a personal lender?

[Danielle Alexander]

I’ve come across websites where agents will solicit buyers to pool their money together in a fund (managed by the agent) to purchase and/or build real estate.

These may be buyers who aren’t ready to purchase an investment property on their own or don’t have the funds, so they are pooling their interests. In exchange, the agent will purchase the property, build the property, and collect rents...some agents even use their own family business as broker and builder. 

After the property is rented, the agent will play interests to the buyers for use of their funds. 

Is that what I could do as an agent?