Real Estate: What We Can Control… and What We Absolutely Cannot
Real estate is exciting, rewarding, and yes—at times—extremely stressful. For most people, buying or selling a home involves the largest financial asset they will ever own, so emotions understandably run high. Add timelines, inspections, appraisals, lenders, title companies, moving trucks, life changes, and human decision-making into the mix, and you have a process that is anything but predictable.
There’s a common misconception that Realtors control everything in a transaction. I wish we did. If that were the case, every deal would close early, every appraisal would come in perfectly, every buyer would follow through, and every inspection would be spotless.
Reality, however, has other plans.
A Lesson Learned Early: When Control Is an Illusion
Years ago, I had a listing in Gaillardia. Beautiful home. Great sellers. Strong buyer. We were under contract. Inspections were completed. Everything looked solid—except one thing.
The contract was contingent upon the buyer selling their home.
At the very last moment, the buyer simply decided not to move forward. No dramatic reason. No major issue uncovered. They just changed their mind.
Those buyers were not my clients. I didn’t represent them. I didn’t control their decision. But emotions were high, disappointment set in, and unfortunately, the sellers were so upset that the buyers backed out that they fired me from the listing. They stopped communicating entirely and didn’t allow me the opportunity to fix the situation, reposition the home, or help them move forward.
I was disappointed. They were disappointed. And the reality is—that’s real estate.
Sometimes things happen that are completely outside of an agent’s control, no matter how experienced, proactive, or committed they are.
Another Day, Another Curveball
On another transaction, we were literally one day from closing.
The buyers were fully approved. The TRR was signed. Earnest money was in place. The sellers had already moved out and were halfway to their new home in New York.
Then the call came.
The buyers decided they wanted a different house. They casually said the sellers could keep the earnest money and walked away.
This, for clarity, is a breach of contract.
That said, legal action isn’t always the best solution, especially when sellers simply want their home sold and their lives to move forward. These sellers were understandably crushed—but they also understood something important.
This wasn’t caused by their Realtor.
We put the home back on the market. We sold it again. And they moved on.
The Things Realtors Can’t Control (But Often Get Blamed For)
Here’s a short list of realities every transaction faces:
Appraisals coming in low or delayed
Buyer loan approvals changing mid-process
Inspection findings and repair negotiations
Title issues that surface late
Survey discrepancies
Buyer emotions, fear, or cold feet
Lender timelines and underwriting surprises
Market shifts during escrow
A great Realtor anticipates issues, communicates clearly, manages expectations, and solves problems—but we don’t control every moving part.
What we do control is how we respond, how we guide our clients through stress, and how we protect their best interests when things don’t go according to plan.
Experience Matters When Things Go Sideways
Smooth deals don’t require much skill. Challenging deals do.
At The Agency, our focus is on preparation, transparency, and experience—especially when transactions take an unexpected turn. Real estate isn’t just about getting under contract. It’s about navigating what happens after.
Because something always happens.
And when it does, you want someone who has seen it before, stayed calm through it, and knows how to guide you forward without panic.
The Bottom Line
Real estate can be stressful. It can be emotional. And at times, it can feel unfair.
But it’s also incredibly rewarding when handled with the right expectations, the right mindset, and the right representation.
Some things are out of our control.
How we handle them is not.
If you’re buying, selling, or simply want honest insight into today’s market, I’m always happy to help.
Wyatt Poindexter
Managing Partner, The Agency
405-417-5466
[email protected]
www.WyattPoindexter.com
www.TheAgencyRE.com
