[MRM]

The realtor probably didn't know that John and Jane Doe had the contacts with you.

A realtor can add value by handling the closing and all the sales documents. I bought a house directly from the owner and used a closing company for the sales documents and to do the closing. They charged a very reasonable flat fee of something in the $500 range. Maybe you can get the realtor to go for something like that. $5,000 for a single phone call and offer sounds like the real estate agent taking advantage of someone.

I just had another thought. If you are paying a direct commission like that, the realtor should be working for you. If the realtor had a prior relationship with the Does, she probably has an exclusive contract with them saying she represents the Does. In most states realtors can't represent both the buyer and seller (dual agency) without at least disclosing it.

Another thought, "Realtor" is a trade name for real estate agents that belong to the national association of realtors, or something like that. They have an independent code of ethics and a complaint process that a lay person can follow. If the real estate agent is a Realtor, call up the local Realtor trade association representative and run the situation bu them and they can explain your rights under the trade organization's rules of ethics. The Realtor rules are not legally binding, but if the agent doesn't follow them she gets kicked out of the organization, which can destroy a career.