You’re not afraid of losing your client, and you’ve always looked out for his or her best interest. Sometimes things just don’t work out, and that’s OK. You know you’ve put in your best efforts and that means you can walk away at the end of the day with your head held high.

Maybe your client isn’t respecting Fair Housing. Maybe the disclosures aren’t exactly truthful, and you know it.

A shady transaction is never worth your integrity, your license or fines.

If something isn’t ethically sound with your clients, it’s always in your best interest to walk, not run.

Doing it the right way

Attitude is everything. Just about every negative emotion stems from a feeling of fear. You have a unique skill set and offer it up with the utmost integrity. You are providing a gift to your clients, not taking something from them.

Be confident. Be positive. Know that you are valued and worthy. You are unstoppable and you change lives daily.

When you facilitate a home transaction, you understand that it is never about you. If you remove yourself from the equation and are only looking out for your client’s best interest ahead of your own, there is never a reason for fear.

You’ve learned to be a calming force in a potentially stressful time for your client. You don’t take things personally. You are reliable and keep your clients on track with timelines. You are an excellent resource for the information they need.

Where fear comes from

So, what is there to fear? You’ve taken cold leads, warmed them with follow-up campaigns, offered value and developed true client relationships over time.

You chose them as much as they chose you. You are viewed as an authority in your market. You are professional. Your clients signed the buyer-brokerage agreements or listing agreements because they trust you and because you’ve explained to them how you get paid.

It might be an uncomfortable conversation at first, but if you are completely transparent, it will set the tone for the entire transaction.

No matter which path you take or what decisions you make, sometimes all roads seem to lead to the intended outcome of the universe. With all the time, care and due diligence we give as real estate agents, it can feel crushing when a deal falls through.

Real-life cases

Sometimes though, in some sort of supernatural, beautiful blessing it can almost feel like a higher power is at work and a failed deal can truly save the day.

Below, you’ll find out about three agents who lost the deal, and it all turned out for the better.

(Editor’s note: The agents who shared their stories wished to remain anonymous.)

The inspection failure

If you’ve done everything right and they’ve done everything right, yet the deal still falls through, chin up. It’s all part of real estate.

Susann, a Realtor in Las Vegas, had that exact thing happen. Her clients found their dream home, only to have the deal fall through with inspection. A flawed foundation killed the deal.

Two weeks later, her clients found their new dream home with a strong foundation and in even better proximity to family. There is always another option.

Losing a friend

Sometimes “the lesson” is your bottom line. Kerri, a Las Vegas resident and Hawaii native has a strong connection to the 808. When she heard her high school girlfriend was moving to the 9th Island (a term lovingly given to Las Vegas because of the Hawaiian culture and festivals), she was ecstatic.

They spent months together planning, chatting and checking out possible homes. One day, Kerri’s childhood friend went online to check out some more homes and she submitted a request for more info.

A Realtor called, saying he was the listing agent and would be happy to show the home. But then the transaction soon closed with the listing agent. Of course, Kerri was crushed, but she stopped and evaluated what she could have done better.

After she some reflection, she realized that since this was a lifelong friend, she never took the time to adequately explain exactly how she got paid. She also never had her friend sign a buyer-brokerage agreement. Kerri vowed never to let that happen again. Lesson learned.

Too good to be true

The universe (or a good mentor) can save us from ourselves. Tina was a brand-new Realtor. She was goal-driven and hungry. She wanted success right away, and her initiative had her running after every potential lead with full momentum.

Tina ate, slept and breathed real estate. And then she got the dream client. He was an investor who wanted to purchase multiple properties. The more Tina worked with him, the more her mentor noticed the investor attempting to push the limits of what could be considered ethical.

Her mentor warned Tina, but Tina wanted to move forward with dollar signs in her eyes. Her mentor did some research, and as it turned out, this “investor” was a real estate agent who lost his license due to real estate law violations.

Tina’s mentor put her foot down and pulled the plug. Tina fired her investor-buyer, but she kept her integrity and can now look forward to a prosperous career.   

Realtors go through a bunch of no’s before they make it to that yes. These are disciplined and dedicated independent business owners who know the meaning of perseverance.

They appreciate that there is enough business for everyone. They know that everyone who wants it, can have success. Blame, fear and worry are not part of their vocabulary. Does this sound familiar? It should. It’s you. Stay brave, and keep changing the world for the better.