Real Talk: Realtors and Mental Health

Let’s just start here — real estate is not for the faint of heart.

It’s a business built on emotions, expectations, and unpredictability.

You’re on call 24/7, balancing

negotiations, inspections, delayed appraisals, cracked foundations, and sometimes cracked client relationships. You’re expected to be part therapist, part magician, part bulldog, and somehow keep smiling through it all.

And while we post the closings and the champagne moments (hey, we’ve earned those!), there’s a whole other side we don’t talk about nearly enough — the mental load that comes with being a Realtor.

So let’s talk about it.

The Pressure Is Real

Here’s what most people don’t see:

• The deals that fall apart days before closing

• The client who ghosts after you’ve shown them 19 homes

• The comparison game we play every time someone posts another "Just Sold"

• The uncertainty of income in an industry with no safety net

• The emotional highs and lows we absorb from clients who are buying or selling during huge life changes

This business can mess with your head if you’re not intentional about protecting it.

“I’m Fine” Isn’t a Strategy

Saying "I’m fine" while your inbox explodes, your clients are spiraling, and your calendar looks like a game of Tetris is... well, not sustainable. Realtors are wired to help everyone else — we jump in, we fix things, we carry the weight — but rarely do we check in with ourselves.

Let me be really clear: Taking care of your mental health is not weakness. It’s wisdom.

What You Can Actually Do

Here are a few ways to make mental wellness part of your business plan:

1. Set Boundaries (and actually honor them)

Your phone does not need to buzz at midnight. You’re not an ER doc. Set your hours — post them in your email signature, your voicemail, even your auto-text — and hold to them.

2. Build a Support Network

You need people in your life who get it. Whether it’s your managing broker, your team, your fellow agents, or a therapist — create a circle where you can be honest, vent, and get grounded again.

3. Practice Saying No

Every “yes” to something that drains you is a “no” to something that restores you. You don’t need to take every client. You don’t need to work every Sunday. You can say no — and still be wildly successful.

4. Move Your Body

No, really. Movement is magic. Go for a walk. Ride your bike. Dance in your kitchen between showings. Your brain will thank you.

5. Unfollow to Unwind

If scrolling social media makes you feel like you’re never doing enough, unfollow. Mute. Step back. Remember: no one posts the tough stuff.

Normalize the Conversation

In our office, we talk a lot about success — closings, listings, wins. But let’s also normalize talking about burnout, boundaries, and asking for help.

If you’re struggling, you are not alone. You’re not broken. You’re not failing. You’re human — and this job is tough.

Let’s take care of our clients, yes — but let’s start by taking care of ourselves.