Hello CRE. Ongoing situation where a Buyer is trying to negotiate directly with the seller. Both sides are big fish and I'm stuck in the middle. All I can think is the buyer will miss out huge if they don't play their cards right...
Background.

I am selling on behalf of a VIP. 

I have a buyer, a pretty big private equity real estate company. 

I my contacts are top level buyer side and direct with the VIP.

We had some offers go back and forth but for some reason the buyers are trying to get direct access to the VIP before any  acceptable agreement or sale takes place. 

I've handled the buyers best way I could think of, keeping in mind my I need to be thick skinned to close this sale. 

There is nothing on my side they can complain about. All they want is to meet the seller, my reply us sure, first you need to pay the price of the property and then meet.

Looking to hear back how you would handle the request and advance the transaction.
[{"id": "fjlvmom", "text": "I always meet the seller first, or at the very least speak with them on the phone, no matter the size of the sale or type of sale.\n\nI also make sure my agent and the selling agent are clear that I'm not trying to nudge anyone out of the deal. I just have a damn good track record of closing deals when I've spoken with a seller. \n\nTry not to assume malintent, and let them talk. I'll almost always move on to another deal if the selling agent is insecurely unwilling to let me talk with the seller. It does help tremendously though that my own broker has that conversation with the selling agent, and can reassure them agent to agent that odds are very high I will work out a win win with the sellers after a conversation.", "replies": [{"id": "fjm1wva", "text": "What are you looking to accomplish in your direct conversation that you can't through the agents?", "replies": [{"id": "fjm2s4v", "text": "A better understanding of the players, and potentially a rapport?\n\nThat would be my thinking.", "replies": [], "depth": 3}, {"id": "fjm3x76", "text": "Oh my, so many things. To determine why they are selling, so I can structure an offer to meet their needs and my own. That's really what it comes down to.\n\nAnd I don't mean the simple answers, like \"for the money\". I want to know what they're planning to do next, like retire or invest in something else, or move on to another type of investment. All of that information matters, and helps me help them sell the property to me. And we can generally come to terms right in that conversation, so when I make the written offer, it's already what we agreed upon and will be accepted.", "replies": [{"id": "fjovwt6", "text": "I mean no offense, but this is whats wrong with this forum.  \n\nOP asked a pretty clear question, they have a high networth VIP type individual and are dealing with what he describes as a pretty big PE firm.  \n\nIt sounds an awful lot like someone has a man crush on OP's client and wants to meet them.  \n\nDo you suppose OP's client doesn't have lawyers, accountants, financial planners, and a ton of business interest outside of this transaction?  Is OP just a stupid broker who gets in the way of deals and wasn't hired because they were competent to actually handle this kind of business so their client does not have to spend a lot of time on it?\n\nAnd you come in, and just ya know if you get a quick phone call with the seller you will solve whatever problems they have, in some way that none of their highly paid consultants ever happened to think of!  \n\nDon't get me wrong I have buyers and sellers talk all the time if there is a purpose, and sometimes more business comes from that.  \n\nThat crap works with sellers who are not well informed, it pretty much just shoots you to the bottom as the stack as a buyer with more experienced folks as you are quickly viewed as inexperienced and a lot of hassle.  That isn't to say you won't get your phone call, if they think you may be the best bidder you will, and you will probably be here posting advice like this, but that is some weekend re seminar level stuff and everyone in the transaction is going to think you are a joke probably.\n\nIf you want to be serious don't do this if you are dealing with serious people.  If you want to buy some 80 year old senile guys 12 unit then go nuts.", "replies": [{"id": "fk3mnns", "text": "You got my position quite well and you seem to have a strong knowledge on how the world turns. \n\nEspecially liked the man crush portion.", "replies": [], "depth": 5}], "depth": 4}], "depth": 3}], "depth": 2}, {"id": "fjojgr8", "text": "The buyer has an acquisition team, all they do is buy. The deal is very straightforward. \n\nThe seller is associated to the highest level public figures, too busy to negotiate sales.", "replies": [], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "fjm3kbq", "text": "Has your client given you specific instructions to NOT allow buyers to contact him/her? If not, what do you have to lose?", "replies": [{"id": "fjnc5du", "text": "Maybe the seller is Brad Pitt. He ain't got no time for that shit.", "replies": [], "depth": 2}, {"id": "fjoiylb", "text": "They don't need to be bothered. If they want to meet they can pay the price of the property. \n\nWe don't care how big the buyer is, the seller can open many doors.", "replies": [{"id": "fjx6rjk", "text": "This is a very hard nosed approach.  These deals take up a lot of time and buyers capital in up front due diligence.  I spend thousand to hundreds of thousands before I even get to the closing table.  What you may feel is an odd request may only be the buyer doing their due diligence on the seller before making such a large financial commitment.  Definitely try and look at it from both sides.  You have the most to gain or lose in this situation since it seems as though you are brokering the deal on both sides for a full commission.  Tank this and the next buyer may come along with a buyers broker and then work you for 1/2 price.", "replies": [{"id": "fk3my0w", "text": "They have all the information related to the property. The only issue to negotiate is price and were not too far. \n\nAnything other due diligence would be with city planning and that's if they wanted to change the zoning specifications. We already agreed to allow any investigation whatsoever during the DD period", "replies": [], "depth": 4}], "depth": 3}], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "fjmh8l1", "text": "Read  \u201cWinning by Intimidation\u201d by Robert Ringer. Covers power dynamics in commercial real estate transaction and how to control the deal. \n\nYou need to establish your value and role as their broker protecting their interests.", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "fjnaxvw", "text": "Sometimes brokers just get in the way , you are not doing brain surgery here, my man", "replies": [{"id": "fjoj52n", "text": "Not this time. Very straightforward deal except for the odd request.  I close deals.", "replies": [], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "fjomm5u", "text": "Talk to your client about it.  If they want to meet this joker to get a deal done thats fine.  If not tell them you discussed it and your client has declined to meet and asked that they work through you.", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "fjpv456", "text": "Honestly the only way to get a deal done once the buyer is selected is to get the fuck out of the way if you\u2019re the broker. It\u2019s not on you to negotiate business terms, you can help as an intermediary to some degree to help relay business points and concerns from both sides but at the end of the day every deal I\u2019ve done has been principal to principal once the broker has the seller picked out.", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "fjx68ag", "text": "Speaking from a buyers perspective here.\nIt sounds like both sides have acquisition and operations teams.  I partner with my brokers with the expectation they bring me opportunities and to communicate with the seller/sellers broker during the initial selection process, but at some point I\u2019m going face to face with the seller or the sellers operations team.  No offense, but I know more about the nuances, valuation, and deal structures than a lot of brokers.  This our business and what we do everyday.  We\u2019ve been in situations where the broker has actually stalled the deal on us, yet when you as the investor step in, you find a way to get through whatever issue that may have held up the deal.  Don\u2019t be personally offended that your buyer wants to talk directly to the seller.  Look at it this way,  would you rather they potentially blow the deal up early or mediate for months only to have one side walk because of some small detail that got missed?  How\u2019s that return on time?", "replies": [{"id": "fk3n2o7", "text": "It makes sense what you say. I've closed deals where all I did was find the client provide the terms and then vendors legal and buyers legal close it up. \n\nI have no problem with that, I don't need to be in the way...", "replies": [], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}]