In real estate, there is the concept of procuring cause. 

Real estate broker'', hereinafter referred to as broker, any person who for another person and for a fee, commission or other valuable consideration, or with the intention or in the expectation or upon the promise of receiving or collecting a fee, commission or other valuable consideration, does any of the following: sells, exchanges, purchases, rents or leases, or negotiates, or offers, attempts or agrees to negotiate the sale, exchange, purchase, rental or leasing of any real estate, or lists or offers, attempts or agrees to list any real estate, or buys or offers to buy, sells or offers to sell or otherwise deals in options on real estate, or advertises or holds himself out as engaged in the business of selling, exchanging, purchasing, renting or leasing real estate, or assists or directs in the procuring of prospects or the negotiation or completion of any agreement or transaction which results or is intended to result in the sale, exchange, purchase, leasing or renting of any real estate."

However, he had an FHA short sale from WFB that closed in 2010, which limits us on the type of loan we can procure (VA - 2 yrs from short sale; FHA - 3yrs; conventional - 4yrs).

I am in the process of finding a new management company, and came across a contract referencing "procuring cause".

Read for yourself: Real Estate Broker 'Real estate broker'', hereinafter referred to as broker, any person who for another person and for a fee, commission or other valuable consideration, or with the intention or in the expectation or upon the promise of receiving or collecting a fee, commission or other valuable consideration, does any of the following:Sells, exchanges, purchases, rents or leases, or negotiates, or offers, attempts or agrees to negotiate the sale, exchange, purchase, rental or leasing of any real estate, or lists or offers, attempts or agrees to list any real estate, or buys or offers to buy, sells or offers to sell or otherwise deals in options on real estate, or advertises or holds himself out as engaged in the business of selling, exchanging, purchasing, renting or leasing real estate, or assists or directs in the procuring of prospects or the negotiation or completion of any agreement or transaction which results or is intended to result in the sale, exchange, purchase, leasing or renting of any real estate.

However, the agent has exclusive right to sell (whether he procure the buyer or not, he's entitled in comission).

Procuring cause.

An example of a recent closing  I was paid as the exclusive sales broker of a Manhattan development site that I procured for my buyer who signed $105,000,000 contract within 24 hours to buy.

It would be far cheaper to procure and install than two forced air furnaces and should be cheaper to operate over the long term.

And thanks for the encouragement to procure more quotes--I’ll definitely be doing that.