MISSING: Solid Contract and Listing Agent...What Now????

2008 ended with some out-of-state Buyers finding a house they loved and me writing an offer and submitting it to the listing agent. New Year's Eve was spent verbally negotiating the offer and finally settling on a few changes by 9 PM. Still time for ringing in 2009! After making the changes and getting with my clients before they left town on New Year's Day I emailed the offer to the listing agent. The earnest money check was safely locked in our office awaiting a signed contract.

A week later the offer appeared in my inbox...missing a few signatures on a couple of pages. I called the agent and asked that he get with the Sellers to have this signed off so that we would have a contract; he assured me he would. We had been having verbal communication on a regular basis up until this time. A week goes by and several voicemails still have not been returned. The agent has gone MISSING!

Frustrated that in this market I can't get a couple of pages back to firm up a contract and have a deal I call the BIC and explain that I am concerned that this agent has not returned my calls and want to make sure that the agent is okay and find out what the deal is. That's when the BIC drops the bomb...the listing agent owns the firm! Then the BIC assures me that the listing agent/owner will call me back. Another week goes by with no reply.

By this time I have pulled out most of my hair and am afraid to take my blood pressure reading as my Buyers and the earnest money check are still doing the limbo. What's a girl to do?????

I want to know if this is going on elsewhere or if this is an isolated case? What is the next step? I would love to hear your stories or suggestions.