List with a Stranger, Lose a Friend

Should I list my home for sale with a friend? Here's the response on one financial advice site: "I would strongly suggest that you do not use a friend. You stand a good chance of losing the friend."

As a real estate broker for 17 years, I figure you've got a 99.999% chance of losing that friend if you don't list with them!

For those who need an explanation, you're handing thousands of dollars to a total stranger with no higher qualifications than your friend on the grounds that you want to retain the friendship.

If you've got more than one friend who's an agent, I'm sure you can finesse it with references to experience, specialization and the like