Yo bud, the point of those clauses (often called breakup or termination fees) is that you have a set term for the realtor to sell the house in -- and pulling out early incurs a penalty. TONS of contracts have clauses like this, and you hear about it all the time especially in corporate M&A. They're boilerplate legal work and there is generally no way to "get out" of it unless, say, the realtor is in breach. That being said, you can always try to drop it, refuse to pay, and tell the realtor to take it to small claims (but your friend will likely lose).