I Failed as a Real Estate Agent

But it pushed me toward writing.

It didn’t take long before I realized I was in the wrong profession.

The decision to become a licensed agent was driven by my desire to try something new and to get out of my comfort zone. I was also looking forward to more autonomy and becoming ‘my own boss.’

But eventually it became apparent that these ‘perks’ weren’t worth the effort.

My first (and only) client was extremely needy. Although she had purchased real estate in the past, she acted as if it was her first time and was presenting as a nervous, pushy, high-strung wreck.

Don’t get me wrong, I understand that real estate transactions can be anxiety-inducing endeavors.

What if the deal falls through?

What if financing is rejected?

What if the inspection uncovers something negative?

I get it- these are all legitimate concerns.

I also understand that, in any public-facing profession, I’m bound to encounter all sorts of people. Some will be lovely and pleasant. Others, not so much.

I thought I was prepared for whatever was coming my way. I had worked with a variety of challenging individuals in the past. This was going to be a piece of cake.

But after I realized that the incessant calls, texts and demands for more information weren’t coming to an end any time soon, I started getting cold feet.

I wrongly assumed I’d have more control and autonomy over my time.

In fairness, it wasn’t solely the difficult client that prompted my decision to quit real estate.

It was the headshots, too.

I remember thinking, What am I doing? This isn’t me. Sitting on a bench, waiting to have my photo taken, a face full of makeup rendering me unrecognizable, I started having doubts.

A private person by nature, I didn’t like the idea of plastering my photo all over town and I especially didn’t like the idea of promoting myself.

At this point you’re probably wondering why I hadn’t taken these things into consideration prior to becoming an agent. And the answer is simple- I was naive.

I thought, I’m going to be a different type of realtor- one who doesn’t partake in shameless self promotion, who’s honest and who always places the client’s interests above my own.

But regardless of my intentions starting out, I quickly discovered that some of these goals were harder to achieve than I anticipated.

I knew there had to be a better way of achieving my career goals- a way that was more suited to me. A way that felt natural and unforced.

So I quit.

Everything came to a head when my client called me for the fifth time that night, agitated and impatient about something unrelated to me but demanding answers I didn’t yet have.

As I answered the phone, I looked over at my kids who held disappointed expressions.

The truth was, I had been ignoring them all night in order to engage with this client- a client who probably wasn’t going to buy anything anyway. And I thought to myself, What’s the point?

This also happened to be the week before my fortieth birthday and I knew I didn’t want to enter a new decade feeling uncertain in my career.

I wanted to be proud of my choices and accomplishments. I wanted to work independently and not have to rely on others for a paycheck. I wanted to put my children and my family first and work on my time.

And I simply didn’t feel like I was going to achieve these things as a real estate agent.

Although I only lasted a few weeks, I don’t regret the time I dedicated to becoming a realtor because I learned a lot about myself in the process.

I became clear on what I’m looking for in a career, about my values, and about the types of people I want to work with.

But the most important thing I learned was this:

Writing online isn’t as scary as I thought.

Don’t ask me where my writing hangups came from- I truly have no idea.

Maybe it was the succession of unhelpful teachers I had growing up, criticizing my work without providing constructive feedback.

Maybe it was my brother teasing me after discovering my journal.

Maybe it was my college literature professor pairing me with a mentor, who was obviously the best writer in class. Without directly stating it, it was apparent my professor viewed me as a student who needed extra support.

There were probably a combination of things that contributed to my writing insecurities.

But whatever the catalyst was, no longer matters. Overcoming these hangups is what matters most now- something I’ve begun doing thanks to my short-lived real estate career.

When I was asked to write a personal bio for the brokerage website, my first thought was, oh crap.

This was followed by a request to add a profile photo.

This was literally my worst nightmare.

Okay, not really. I’m being dramatic for affect. But, truthfully, I really didn’t want to do either of these things- I felt uncomfortable and I felt disingenuous.

I knew deep down that the fears I had about my writing were irrational, at best. Ludicrous, really. So I did it. I felt cringy writing about myself in that moment, but once my bio was completed and submitted, I felt a sense of relief.

It really wasn’t as bad as I anticipated.

All the fears I had about my writing, about it not being good enough, about people judging my words or my ideas- all of that was pointless.

And once I completed the task, I’d realized I had been holding onto old ideas and an old version of myself that no longer existed. So maybe my writing wasn’t great when I was younger. But that has nothing to do with my writing today.

The truth is, opportunities are everywhere. If we take the time to look around, we’ll find them.

The opportunity for me to grow as a person and start developing as a writer took the shape of a ‘failed’ career.

I may have strayed from my path, albeit briefly. And others may view my short-lived career as a waste of time, but I view the experience as the push I needed to get back on track- to open my eyes to the false assumptions and the unhealthy thought processes I had been holding onto for years.

Through failing, I realized my potential.

What about you? Have you ever landed on a fulfilling career by way of a less- fulfilling one? Let me know in the comments!