I see this as a minimum of $50,000 worth of commissions and more likely closer to $75,000 worth of commissions that I could have by getting licensed.The costs associated with getting a real estate salesperson license in my state is incredibly low in relationship to this ONE SINGLE life event of which there will surely be more in the future.I also see a major pitfall with using a real estate agent on the buy side because then I am subject to their availability for when something hits the market rather than my own availability of pouncing on something quick.I've researched out a few real estate brokerages that have a monthly fee to hang your license there and a flat fee per transaction. 

Ps… for reference, this is my wife’s brother, we have a great relationship and have been married to his sister for 20 years.

Hey Team,I'm new to the BP family and look forward to long standing relationship with the everyone. 

We also don't know how the Buyer/Seller relationship has been.If I was dealing with difficult buyers, I wouldn't let them in except for what the contract states until after all contingencies have been released. 

I would say that would be what gets him into trouble, that is all dependent on how long they have been together, and what rights come from being in the relationship. 

Many of the contributors here have a very uncomfortable relationship with God's honest truth. 

A relative is more likely to try to take advantage of you than a stranger, because of the personal relationship.

They are a family owned franchises so you get the best of both worlds.lots of power behind you, but the personal relationship of a small company.

There are many paid mentorship programs out there, but you could also start attending more local meetups to see if you can build some organic relationships that way. 

I would also encourage leveraging a mentor relationship.