Down and out, I feel bad for you as a fellow realtor. On boards such as these you will not get any sympathy for getting scorched except from your brethren.
I would proceed as follows:
1 – Go immediately to my broker and tell him/her what is going on. I would imagine that your brokerage has a legal staff because they also lost potential income with the commission ommission. I would think that there are legal resources you can draw on to help you out. It seems like perhaps you have already done this.
2 – Did you have a buyers representation agreement in place with your clients? At the very least an agency disclosure signed by them?
Have you had any contact with these good friends at all lately? It is unfortunate that they went through the purchase knowing that you were getting shafted. What was most likely unknown to them, and most everyone who buys from a builder directly, is that having a savy realtor with you usually results in a much better deal then when you are on your own.
