What It’s Really Like to Be a Realtor in 2026: Thirty-One Years In, and I May Need a Therapy License

Well, where do I start?

I have been in real estate for 31 years. That means I have worked through recessions, housing booms, housing busts, interest-rate swings, changing regulations, technological disruptions, inspection surprises, appraisal problems and enough unusual transactions to fill several seasons of a reality television show.

I thought 2008 was difficult. For me personally—and I want to emphasize that I am not speaking for every Realtor—2026 has been even more challenging.

I am not saying that to be negative. I am not predicting the collapse of the housing market, and I am certainly not trying to discourage anyone from buying or selling a home. This is simply my honest account of what this year has felt like from my side of the closing table.

The best way I can describe real estate in 2026 is this: It is like running a marathon while carrying professional photography equipment, answering your phone, negotiating a repair request and reassuring six people that everything is going to be fine.

And you do not get paid unless you cross the finish line.

I Didn’t Get Into Real Estate to Collect Listings

I did not get into real estate to “collect” listings. I am in this business to sell listings.

There is an enormous difference.

A listing is not a trophy to place on a website. It is a responsibility. When sellers hire me, they are trusting me with one of their largest financial assets. I take that responsibility seriously, which means I invest heavily in professional photography, video, digital advertising, social media, print marketing, property websites, staging advice, open houses and countless other efforts designed to get a home noticed.

Luxury real estate marketing is particularly expensive. The photos may look effortless, but I promise you that the invoice does not.

For the first time in my career, I have turned down more listings than I have accepted. That is not because I do not want the business. It is because accepting a listing at a price the market will not support does not help the seller, and it does not help me.

It only creates an expensive online exhibit titled, “Beautiful Home Seeking Buyer Who Has Not Yet Been Born.”

During two months this year, I spent more marketing listings than I actually earned. People sometimes see a Realtor’s sign in a yard and assume money is already rolling in. In reality, the Realtor is often paying for marketing, fuel, staff, technology, insurance, signs, photography and advertising long before—and only if—a transaction closes.

Realtors do not get paid for effort. We get paid for results. Unfortunately, the electric company has not agreed to use that same arrangement.

Buyers, Where Are You?

The question many sellers are asking in 2026 is, “Why isn’t my home selling?”

The question many Realtors are quietly asking is, “Where are the buyers?”

Some homes are receiving very little activity. Showings are slower, decisions take longer and buyers are more cautious. Even when a buyer loves a home, the monthly payment can change the conversation quickly.

As of August 13, 2026, the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate was 6.67%, according to Freddie Mac. Meanwhile, the national median existing-home price reached $434,100 in July. Existing-home sales declined 1.7% from the previous month, and the typical property spent 29 days on the market, according to the National Association of Realtors.

A 6% or 7% mortgage rate may not sound shocking to those of us who remember much higher rates, but today’s buyers are combining those rates with elevated home prices, higher insurance costs, property taxes, maintenance expenses and the general cost of everyday life.

The result is a buyer who may love the kitchen, the pool and the neighborhood—but needs a moment alone after seeing the estimated monthly payment.

Other buyers are waiting for rates to fall. Some are concerned about job security or broader economic uncertainty. Some already own homes with extremely low mortgage rates and do not want to exchange a 3% loan for one in the 6% range. The National Association of Home Builders has identified affordability, economic uncertainty, a softening labor market, insurance costs and the mortgage-rate “lock-in effect” as continuing obstacles in 2026.

Put all of that together, and you get a market in which many people would like to move, but fewer feel comfortable actually doing it.

Sellers Are Frustrated—and I Understand Why

Sellers are frustrated when their homes do not sell. I understand that completely.

They clean the house, make the beds, hide the laundry, remove the dog, light the candles and leave for a showing—only to receive feedback such as, “The buyer loved everything, but they decided they want a house facing the opposite direction.”

That is when I become less of a Realtor and more of a real estate therapist.

I listen. I explain the market. I review the showing activity. I discuss price, presentation and positioning. I reassure sellers that a lack of activity does not mean there is something wrong with their home or with them personally.

However, the market does not consider what someone paid, how much they spent improving the property or how many wonderful memories were created there. Those things matter emotionally, but buyers and appraisers look at comparable sales, condition, location, competition and current demand.

Nearly every seller understandably believes their home is special. Many also believe it should be worth more than every other home in the neighborhood.

Mathematically, however, every house cannot be the most expensive house in the neighborhood at the same time. Real estate has many challenges, but it has not yet defeated arithmetic.

My job is not to tell sellers only what they want to hear. My job is to tell them what they need to know so they can make the best possible decision.

Then Comes the TRR

For anyone outside Oklahoma real estate, TRR stands for “Treatments, Repairs and Replacements.”

Following the buyer’s inspections and investigations, the buyer may submit a Notice of TRR identifying treatments, repairs or replacements the buyer wants the seller to complete and pay for before closing. The seller can accept the request or propose modifications, and the parties may negotiate the items. The official 2026 form is provided by the Oklahoma Real Estate Commission.

The purpose of a TRR is reasonable. Buyers should understand the condition of a property, and legitimate health, safety, structural and mechanical concerns deserve serious attention.

The challenge comes when the inspection process stops being about material defects and begins to resemble a complete home-remodeling proposal.

Some requests seem to suggest that a previously owned home should be delivered in brand-new condition, preferably with a new roof, new heating and air system, new appliances, perfect landscaping and perhaps a gift card to a nearby furniture store.

Buyers are understandably cautious because purchasing a home is a major financial commitment. Sellers are understandably defensive because they may feel they are being asked to renovate a house they are leaving. The Realtors are standing in the middle, translating, negotiating and reminding everyone to take a deep breath.

Sometimes we should receive continuing-education credit in conflict resolution.

Transactions Feel More Fragile

Another challenge in 2026 is that some buyers are backing out for reasons that can seem unclear, sudden or surprisingly small.

The issue presented may not always be the real issue. A buyer may mention a minor inspection item when the larger concern is the payment, job uncertainty, fear of making the wrong decision or simple buyer’s remorse. Purchasing a home is emotional, and when the financial stakes feel higher, anxiety becomes part of the transaction.

That does not mean buyers are bad people. It means they are nervous.

Sellers are nervous, too. Many need the proceeds from one sale to complete another purchase. When a transaction falls apart, it can disrupt moving plans, financing arrangements and sometimes an entire chain of transactions.

The Realtor is often the person attempting to keep everything together with experience, communication and what remains of our coffee.

I Cannot Imagine Starting in 2026

I have tremendous respect for anyone getting a real estate license in 2026.

New agents are entering a business with expensive marketing, cautious buyers, frustrated sellers, complex contracts, increased public scrutiny and fewer easy transactions. They are also discovering that receiving a real estate license and building a sustainable real estate career are two very different accomplishments.

If I were starting over this year, I honestly do not know how I would survive without experience, established relationships and a strong support system.

Yet new agents are still showing up. Experienced Realtors are still adapting. Brokers are still coaching. Photographers, lenders, title professionals, inspectors, appraisers and contractors are still doing their best to move transactions forward.

That deserves recognition.

We Are All in This Together

Despite everything I have written, I still believe in real estate.

I believe in homeownership. I believe in helping families move into the next chapter of their lives. I believe in representing sellers honestly, protecting buyers carefully and working through difficult situations professionally.

Markets change. They always have, and they always will.

The difficult years teach us patience, discipline, empathy and the importance of honest conversations. They remind us that success is not measured only by the number of signs in the ground. It is measured by how well we serve people—especially when the market is not making anything easy.

To my fellow Realtors who are struggling: I see you.

I see the money you are spending before you earn a dollar. I see the late-night phone calls, canceled contracts, difficult conversations, price reductions and hours of work that never appear on a settlement statement. I see you continuing to show up professionally even when you are privately wondering whether your next closing will arrive before your next marketing bill.

You are not alone.

We are all navigating the same uncertain waters, even if our individual boats look different. This is not the time to criticize one another or pretend everything is perfect. It is the time to share ideas, encourage each other, protect our professionalism and remember why we entered this business.

To buyers and sellers, please know that most Realtors are not trying to pressure you. We are trying to guide you through an unusually complicated market. Honest pricing, realistic expectations, thoughtful negotiations and a little patience can make an enormous difference.

After 31 years, I know one thing for certain: no market lasts forever.

The market will adjust. Buyers will return. Homes will sell. Confidence will improve. Until then, we will keep answering our phones, marketing our listings, solving problems and occasionally providing complimentary therapy from the front seat of our cars.

Real estate in 2026 may be challenging, but challenges do not define us. How we respond to them does.

We will adapt. We will support one another. We will continue serving our clients with honesty and compassion. And one transaction at a time, we will get through this together.

Wyatt Poindexter is a premier luxury real estate agent in Oklahoma specializing in high-end homes, gated communities, lakefront properties, and estate homes across Oklahoma City, Edmond, Arcadia, and all surrounding areas.

Wyatt Poindexter - Oklahoma Luxury Real Estate - The Agency - 405-417-5466 - [email protected] - www.OKLuxuryHomes.com