There are the low to $0 compensation up front gigs like being an agent that have high income potential down the road vs. the immediate pay off gig like a job paying $16/hour.

@Brian Burke I'm not a big fan of pref equity in the first place, as common equity investors often aren't compensated for the additional risk.

How were they compensated for their time spent on this?

They get compensated with fees and equity in the deal.

Do we need to get workmen compensation or other liability insurance?

That could mean that if you were to bypass the agent in this case, you may still owe compensation to that agent if you close the deal. 

This allows the new partner to share in the appreciation when the property is sold, which could help compensate for the upfront cash investment they’ll make in buying out the partner.If the current partner is open to it, you could explore a form of seller financing or a gradual buyout plan.

What do you guys think about the DOJ attempting to dictate the way realtors get paid?

Nearest I can figure (it is somewhat inter related) I have been deriving about 1/2 my “net” income / wealth increase from my money invested and the other 1/2 from the compensation attributable to my running he fund/syndications.  

My view is that the extra income from STRs/MTRs basically compensates for the extra effort.