They don't seem to realize that this is a financial organization. 

To have a successful STR I HIGHLY recommend listening to this episode of a podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/on-the-market/id161508...Once you listen to this, and any highly involved STR operator will agree, you will find a lot of the fundamentals are lacking in Kissimmee or you have to have deep pockets to hit those.I won't spoil the episode, but if you listen to it (and anyone out there that does) feel free to DM me afterward and I'd be happy to talk details tailored to your situation on if you're on the right path or maybe I can help.

I have a situation where a person I know is moving out of the country and would be looking to put their home for sale in the summer.

Setting financial and lifestyle goals and using lessons from your current setup can help.Good luck!

Aside all that, as others mentioned, you didn't lend enough info to give any specific answer to your specific situation.

The buyer's agent, though excellent, was new and unsure how to handle the situation.

We were in a financial position where we could keep our existing home, upgrade, and purchase another home.

Just stay flexible and be ready to adapt to market changes or your own financial situation.

And as you can read here on BP this is probably the number one recipe for financial failure. 

Depending on your exact situation, you could likely get something closer to 7% and make these numbers work a little better.