Readers are advised to seek professional advice.

IF investors are advised before making their investment that there are risks and problems can occur, then the sponsor should be able to keep investors informed of problems without “shame of failure”.  

Their familiarity with the local market and diverse financial products could be beneficial.Huntington Bank: With a significant presence in Ohio, Huntington Bank provides various commercial banking solutions and has a history of working with business clients, including those with complex ownership structures.PNC Bank: As a major regional bank, PNC offers comprehensive commercial banking services and has experience dealing with corporate clients, which may align with your fund's requirements.It's advisable to contact these banks directly to discuss your specific needs and assess their ability to accommodate your investment structure without personal guarantees.

Readers are advised to seek professional advice. 

I get a lot of messages from investors in the Bay Area and I'm happy to talk to someone for an hour but as far as ongoing advice, I don't think I'm the best person to advise them since my properties fell into my lap pre-2013 (California and one Indiana property).

The right lender will be able to advise you on what options you have after getting some info from you and taking an application. 

My initial thought is to advise them to continue to offer the fee to avoid alienating buyer agents, especially if this is how buyer brokers are creating their short lists to share with clients.

Readers are advised to seek professional advice.

My attorney advised me to have her sign an affidavit taking responsibility for the deposit and that if the guy ever came back looking for his share that she would pay him or handle all legal issues. 

I advise that you get a job working as a PM for at least a year before trying to manage someone's investment.