Random observations:There are ethical and unethical people in every profession.

You take on more risk driving your car than dealing with a single family home, assuming you deal ethically and legally obeying the rules of the road. 

Licensing means you go through education that teaches you the law and professional ethics. 

They're either shut down by moderators due to abusers posting libelous, slanderous and disruptive content or website owners with an ethical moral compass that won't allow them to support hate-speech. 

and run your business ethically it's less likely to happen.

I suggested that given how much time has passed, we either date the transaction the current date (which seems most transparent and ethical to me, I'm not a fan of backdating) or he pays me a reasonable interest rate on the proceeds from 1/1 until funding.    

These are professionals with additional training and a stricter code of ethics.

In the end, I think you just need to learn to get lots of deals under contract (ethically obviously).Good luckPhil Cutting

If so is there any ethical or legal regulations prohibiting the listing agent from making this properties upcoming availability knowledge to an outside source ie Cory?

What's missing is the ethics involved IMO.