The agents who were told they'd get units to sell (but didn't) were lied to by the marketer to generate publicity. The marketer gets his piece of the pie for promoting the developement. The agents who, for whatever reason were deemed to be VIP (did they provide a kickback?), got their piece, too. The self-governing body that regulates realtors says it's disconcerting, but perfectly legal. So basically, if you want to get in the game, you have to play the game. What an increasingly slimy business real estate has become.