My Memphis wholesale contact is now my only agent option for the property I want to flip there and I do not know what to do with that

The framing that your only options are dual agency or a stranger is not right. D cannot tell you where the seller sits, but he can still be useful differently. Ask him flat out whether there is any flexibility language he is allowed to share without breaching fiduciary duty, because some listing agents in that spot will say something like "the seller has a timeline pressure" without ever touching the bottom number. That is not confidential instruction, that is motivation, and there is a legal difference.

On price, I would not come in at 105k cold. Come in at 97 or 98k, written tight, short inspection window, as-is, and let D present it. The counter tells you more than D could have told you anyway. If they come back at 107 you know their floor without anyone breaking a rule.

@thinkingaboutmemphismove made a point above about buyer's agents diluting relationships and I actually disagree with that. D already knows you close deals. One transaction where you protect yourself does not wipe out four months of history, and if D is actually a professional he is not going to take it personally.

What does your deferred maintenance number actually look like itemized? Because 118k to 105k is a 13k gap and if your repair list is 20k or more you are not buying a duplex, you are buying a project, and that changes what you should be paying by a lot more than that spread.

The wall you felt is real and D handled it correctly. The moment he took the listing, he became the seller's agent. He cannot share the seller's motivation, timeline, or bottom line with you without breaching that duty, and the fact that he gave you the brochure answer is him doing his job properly, not holding out on you personally.

Here is what dual agency actually means for your offer. D can write it and submit it, but he cannot advise you on strategy. He cannot say "offer 98k, the seller needs to close by March." He can present facts about the property, answer questions that appear in the listing, and facilitate paperwork. That is the ceiling. You are negotiating somewhat blind, which matters a lot on a property where you already think the ask is 13k above value.

One thing worth knowing: "bring in a buyer's agent" does not necessarily mean replacing D. In some cases a buyer's agent negotiates on your behalf and D stays as listing agent. You would want to check with D and the brokerage directly about how they handle that, because the commission split and the consent process vary. I would not assume it blows up the relationship.

On the market knowledge gap, your edge in Memphis is one relationship, and that relationship is not gone. D is just wearing a different hat on this specific deal. The intel he gave you on four wholesale deals is still in your head. That is not nothing.

A real estate attorney in Tennessee, not me, should be the one to explain exactly what you are and are not consenting to before you sign a dual agency disclosure. That is a one conversation investment worth making before you write the offer.

What does your repair estimate look like on the deferred maintenance, and do you have a number in mind for what you would actually pay?