Pound the pavement and talk to people.  

If you go to the humanes society or local dog pound?

He sales his stake and the next guy comes out picks a spot hits the ground with his axe and finds the largest nugget of gold ever seen some 51 pounds of gold.

Or, could this turn out to be penny wise, pound foolish?

It's penny wise pound foolish.

They have 2 kids a 4 and 5 year old and a 5 pound dog.  

I have a background in construction, more on the management and finance side, but I have pounded more than a few nails in my day.I have always had a interest in Real Estate but have always put more energy into my family and career.

Off market opportunities are out there, but as more and more people buy off-the-shelf marketing and data, for instance absentee owner lists and yellow letters and postcards, property owners are being pounded with mail that only seems to serve to desensitize them, leave them numb and unresponsive.Today's successful investors utilize smart marketing strategies to identify off-market opportunities and multiple media (mail, call, knock) to reach and convert prospective sellers. 

We don’t know what if agreement you signed with the new broker, unlikely a fee due for no closed deal would be enforceable anyway, but “pound sand” comes to mind, then move on.

If an investor comes in with the typical 60% - 70% of retail value, I'd expect them to tell you to pound sand.Even for real estate agents looking for listings, it's not much more productive.