08/05/2026
The Side of Real Estate We Don’t Talk About Enough
I debated whether to share this, but after having three separate homes fail to make it to closing for my 3 buyers in the past four months, I think it is worth discussing.
Real estate can be an incredibly rewarding career, but there is a difficult side to being self-employed that most people never see.
Agents can spend six months, a year, or even longer working with a buyer or seller. We invest countless hours, pay business and travel expenses, negotiate contracts, coordinate inspections, research properties, meet contractors, gather bids, and help our clients navigate difficult decisions.
Sometimes, despite everyone’s best efforts, the transaction does not close.
In each of these three cases, the buyers did not walk away because they were being unreasonable or because of minor cosmetic concerns. The inspections uncovered significant structural problems or potential health and safety hazards. The repairs were either too expensive to overcome, the sellers were unable to complete them, or there was not enough flexibility in the price for the buyers to responsibly take them on.
This is exactly why I cannot stress enough how important it is to have a thorough home inspection, and to listen when the inspector recommends bringing in a qualified specialist to investigate further and provide actual repair estimates.
I have no hard feelings about any of these transactions. I am grateful that my clients had the information they needed to make educated decisions and avoid purchasing homes that could have created financial problems for them.
That is the job.
But I would be dishonest if I said it was not discouraging to invest months of time, energy, and money into a transaction and receive no paycheck at the end. In real estate, agents are generally paid only when a sale successfully closes. We may go months without earning a commission while continuing to pay the expenses required to operate our businesses and properly serve our clients.
Being your own boss can absolutely be a dream, but it also comes with uncertainty, risk, and sacrifices that are rarely shown on social media.
Sometimes success means handing your clients the keys to their new home.
Other times, success means helping them recognize when it is safer to walk away, even when that means you do not get paid.
Terri Hisdahl
