If you want to do without intermediaries, then you can assess real estate to bring the seller to the bank, which will confirm your intentions with a warranty letter in a short time. Further, communicating with the seller, so that he could not admit about another buyer, having fed, you will arrange everything in one week. But, if the seller, all the same will run away, you will lose the money that you paid for the assessment of the apartment. Therefore, the best way to convince the seller to pay for the assessment of the apartment. Your risk at the same time boils down to zero, but you will have to apply all your eloquence and provide «iron» arguments.