If you sell now, you'll likely break even (after commissions) and you can take your money and buy something else better suited for what you need.2.)

Otherwise take your project to a commercial broker and offer the commissions.

It is true you could potentially get a buy side commission as an agent (I have), but you won't have the lender and attorney contacts that a full time agent will have on your team.

At $700K with no buyers side commission (representing myself as I now do) and title insurance closing costs buyer-paid, I was already $20K higher on a net sheet to the owners- and still they are looking for more on a new offer. 

That way you get the same service done for likely the same low price (much less than a Realtor commission would be), with the additional benefit that everything is easy on the escrow company.

Seeing as though a sale through a referral agent will mean less commission for the realtor, and considering the fact that in the market I am in, prices are rising which means more demand, could a referral agent actually find a Listing agent who is willing to accept lead's from a referral agent?

Sounds suspect with a $938 monthly fee.You should get a real estate agent to submit the offer, its free to you, the agent commission is paid by the seller.

Also, with us having a lot of our income in bonuses and commissions it forces us to only rely on our salaries, and allows us to have big chunks for savings or paying off the HELOC...So much information!

However, I pointed out that they stand to make money from the build and the realtors commission on the back end.

I called the Realtor who was excited to work with a pro vs a novice (always try to sound like you know what you are doing) I am placing an offer $5000 below ask and will get my realtor commission to boot.