Things That Would Send Most People Into a Coma (But Are Just… My Job)

If I described a typical week in real estate to someone outside the industry, they'd probably look at me with genuine concern. And honestly? Fair.

Because if you strip away the nice photos and the "flexible schedule" narrative, here's what this job actually looks like — and here's why I wouldn't trade a single bit of it.

I meet strangers from the Internet and get into a car with them.

This is not a joke. Someone fills out a form on my website, we exchange a few messages, and then I pick them up and drive them around Greater Boston showing them houses. I do this regularly. With enthusiasm. My mother has come to peace with it.

I work nights, weekends, holidays, and vacations — and call it flexibility.

In real estate, "flexible schedule" means I get to choose which Saturday I miss the barbecue. Offers don't wait for Monday morning. Inspections don't care about long weekends. And if you're on vacation and a deal needs attention? Congrats, you're working from the beach. The flexibility is real — it's just not what most people picture.

I become an unlicensed therapist mid-transaction.

Buying or selling a home is one of the most emotional decisions a person can make. So yes, I've talked clients down from spirals at 11pm. I've sat in parking lots after showings letting someone process what they're really looking for in life. I've navigated divorces, estates, career pivots, and first-time buyer anxiety — often all in the same week. No couch, no credentials, no copay. Just me and a willingness to actually listen.

I clean and tidy other people's homes more than my own.

There are properties I have personally fluffed pillows in, wiped down counters in, and adjusted artwork in before a showing. My own apartment? Currently living its best life, unfluffed. Priorities.

I put in hours — sometimes weeks — of work with absolutely no guarantee of being paid.

This is the one that makes non-real-estate people genuinely uncomfortable. Research, showings, negotiations, strategy sessions, 11pm texts answered in real time — none of it is billable until a deal closes. And sometimes deals fall apart. That's the job. You show up anyway.

Here's the thing though.

All of those "this would send most people into a coma" moments? They're also exactly where the real work happens. The drive-around with the stranger becomes a relationship that lasts years. The late-night therapy session is what actually helps someone make a confident decision. The unpaid hours are the investment in doing it right.

Building connections, uncovering opportunities, and helping people make some of the biggest calls of their lives — that's what genuinely makes me happy. Not the transaction. The trust.

I chose this life. I see it clearly. And I wouldn't change a thing.

Steph Crawford is a luxury real estate agent serving the Greater Boston market with the Steph Crawford Group. If you're thinking about buying or selling, reach her at [email protected].