There are many on here with no real experience that will parrot what they have heard.

Because there can be some problem if you have an agreement in place and then go around that realtor, in such agreements, even if a realtor is not the cause of the deal, they may be entitled to a commission.With that being said, if the realtor was not the procuring cause and no agreement has been made in writing, I would get the realtor to represent me in this deal, remember, this is not only investing in properties but also investing in people, investing in relationships that can last a life time, and to me this would pay more dividends at the end of any day in the future.

One problem you are going to run into now is if you had your cousin go see the property and he or she saw it with the listing agent, the listing agent now has procuring cause, with you as their client, to the commission on the buyer's side whether you choose to use another agent or not.

As an agent, a non-exclusive agreement allows you to use multiple agents or no agents but protects the agent with the NEBA where he/she has presented properties to you or acts as procuring cause of the purchase or sale. 

I’m in contact with a commercial lender who has given me a reasonable quote for additional loans, but obviously I’d like to procure more FNMA backed financing if possible.Thanks in advance for your help.

Help find subs, coordinate deliveries, procure materials, etc, but all contracts with vendors and trade contractors are direct to him.

I am going to parrot @jarrod Covey here.

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."

To me about 80%+ of the value a property manager adds is procuring tenants.

Notwithstanding the edification of the seller, investors and OO sellers alike, upon finding a buyer who can procure financing, might it be that this intensely insidious pattern of risky lending on little-to-no down payment, federally-backed loans is again establishing a deep footprint?