Skip to content Seventy-one percent of real estate agents didn’t close a single transaction last year. Not one.
Let’s get painfully real for a second.
The real estate industry is experiencing its worst crisis since 1995. With only 3.9 million transactions in 2024 (the lowest volume in three decades despite 70 million more homeowners) agents face unprecedented challenges.
Meanwhile, real estate has become the profession with the second-highest rate of clinical depression, with most agents reporting burnout symptoms.
But in an industry where 87% of new agents quit within five years, Andy Nelson’s approach stands out: he consistently closes 65-75 homes annually while maintaining what he calls “intentional imbalance” which helped him turn a $3,000 direct mail investment into $52,000 in commissions.
Here’s his secret: He understands what real estate burnout really looks like and how to beat it.
If you missed our podcast with Andy Nelson about breaking through and understanding real estate burnout, watch that here.
But today we’re gonna dig a little deeper into burnout. What is real estate burnout? Why is it so bad in real estate? What can you do to beat it?
Quick Links:
- What is Real Estate Burnout?
- Why are Burnout Rates so High in Real Estate?
- Why Do Most Real Estate Agents Get Burnt Out?
- How Will You Know if You’re Experiencing Real Estate Burnout?
- How to Fix Real Estate Burnout
- The Intentional Imbalance Framework
- Why Intentional Imbalance Works When “Balance” Fails
- Breaking Through Real Estate Burnout Requires Breaking the Pattern
What is Real Estate Burnout?
Real estate burnout looks different than traditional workplace stress. While many industries might define burnout as physical exhaustion, real estate burnout manifests as apathy.
It looks like agents who simply stop caring about their business.
Here’s what real estate burnout actually looks like:
- Not answering the phone when potential clients call
- Avoiding prospecting activities that generate revenue
- Busywork instead of business – updating CRMs, perfecting websites, attending events
- “Death by a thousand distractions” – doing everything except what makes money
In real estate, agents mask their burnout with activities that feel productive but generate zero income.
They’ll spend three hours on social media posts that attract no clients while avoiding the fifteen-minute expired listing call that could generate a $10,000 commission.
Why are Burnout Rates so High in Real Estate?
The financial impact of real estate burnout extends far beyond individual agents. With increased transaction fallout rates across the industry, agents are working three times harder for the same results compared to 2021.
The average NAR member now completes just 10 transaction sides annually, down from 12 in 2022, while median income dropped to $55,800.
Market conditions amplify the problem:
- High interest rates create a “lock-in effect” where 82% of homeowners refuse to sell
- Transaction volumes at lowest levels since 1995 despite 70 million more homeowners
- 96% of buyers now use online tools, creating unrealistic expectations for instant service
- Commission compression from new business models reduces per-transaction income
Now to be clear, less transactions doesn’t always mean less opportunity, but it does mean you need to work harder to find that opportunity.
For example, for years with low interest rates, it seemed like sellers and buyers were just lining up around the corner to get into the real estate market.
And although that’s not the case anymore, there’s still thousands of new opportunities hitting REDX leads every day. But now, you need to work for them.
In our own Facebook group, agents are commenting how for the first time in 8 years, they’re being required to do the work that they haven’t needed to do since ~2016 (cold calling).
Speaking of social media, let’s talk about how social media contributes to real estate fatigue.
Social Media Makes Burnout Worse
The comparison culture on social media makes everything worse. Social media shows only highlight reels… the agent posting about their tenth sale this month while others struggle for a single listing.
But this is not the reality that most agents experience.
As Yvonne mentioned in a recent podcast episode with REDX…
“I was tired of being in the industry for so long and watching people die broke and they die broke literally die broke in our industry. Consumers don’t understand how difficult the real estate agents have it. They don’t realize that most agents might look like they have money and they do not. And it’s very tough because you have to spend so much money to stay in business and you have to really hustle.”
Although many agents might seem like they’re just swimming in easy money on social media, lots of agents are secretly struggling with small margins and still hustling for every deal.
So lets do a quick reality check: Although multi-channel marketing generates 24% higher ROI than any single approach, most burned-out agents are still using a single failing strategy and avoid doing anything differently.
Why Do Most Real Estate Agents Get Burnt Out?
Based on industry research and insights from top-producing agents, here are the primary causes of real estate burnout:
#1 – Working Harder for Less Money
The Problem: Agents report working 30% more hours than pre-2021 while earning 15% less per transaction due to increased fallout rates and market complexity.
What Andy Nelson Does Differently: Andy’s systematic approach to expired listings eliminates the frustration of random prospecting. His five-channel method—calling, direct mail, email, social media, and door knocking—creates predictable results.
This approach works because Andy is focusing all his efforts on a single high-converting lead source… AND diversifying the methods he uses to initiate conversations with them.
Fresh expired listings convert at 43% compared to 3-5% for general prospecting.
The Solution:
- Focus on 1 high-conversion lead source (Expireds, FSBOs, pre-foreclosures)
- Do everything you can to initiate conversations with them (Call, Postcards, Social Ads, etc.)
- Focus on becoming the expert at one thing at a time.
Like we discussed earlier, even if the market is showing less transactions, it doesn’t always mean the market has less opportunity.
Expired listings are a fantastic way to build your business in any market. While some agents burnout from activities that don’t bring them money, other agents are specializing in activities that actually bring in money.
Try out Expired Leads today to break through burnout and start focusing on the lead conversations that really bring you business.
#2 – “Death by a Thousand Distractions”
The Problem: Agents busy themselves with non-revenue activities—updating websites, reorganizing files, attending networking events—instead of prospecting and appointments.
What Andy Does: He protects his morning hours (8 AM – 12 PM) exclusively for revenue-generating activities. No inspections, no paperwork, no administrative tasks. “There’s no such thing as a real estate emergency unless the house is on fire. And if the house is on fire, call the fire department, don’t call me.”
The Solution:
- Block morning hours (8 AM – 12 PM) for lead generation only
- Batch administrative tasks in afternoons
- Say no to non-essential activities during peak prospecting hours
- Measure activities by revenue generated, not hours worked
As Tyler Fenn (Sales Manager and Real Estate Agent at REDX) is fond of saying:
“I guard my calendar with my life. If its not on the calendar, it doesn’t happen. If it is on the calendar, I don’t let anything prevent it from happening.”
If you truly want to break through real estate burnout, protect your morning routine with events that bring in money.
Follow Tyler and Andy’s advice and build a daily blocked calendar with revenue generating activities as your first priority.
#3 – Lack of Systematic Lead Generation
The Problem: Most agents rely on inconsistent lead sources, creating feast-or-famine cycles that breed anxiety and burnout.
Andy’s Expired Listing System: While competitors chase online leads with 0.5% conversion rates, Andy works expired listings systematically:
- Call twice through the entire daily list (fresh expireds)
- Then work days 2-7 twice
- Email prospecting via third-party service
- Text messaging through automated sequences
- Direct mail with professional listing presentations
- Social media advertising targeting specific addresses
Results: 1,819 mailers sent, 9 transactions closed, $52,184 in GCI from $3,100 investment.
The Solution:
- Choose one lead source and master it completely
- Implement multi-channel follow-up (calling + mail + email + social)
- Use REDX for expired leads ($69.99/month) with built-in compliance
- Track conversion rates by channel and optimize accordingly
If you want to give direct mail marketing a shot, check out our ultimate guide on direct mail marketing strategies for real estate agents. It includes a comparison between direct mail and cold calling, a 4 step direct mail listing funnel, and real success stories from real agents proving this strategy can work.
#4 – No Clear Vision or “Why”
The Problem: Agents get caught in the comparison trap, chasing other people’s definitions of success without understanding their own goals.
Andy’s Philosophy: He uses Glover U’s “Live Unreal Formula” to help agents identify their actual vision, not society’s expectations. “Not everyone needs to make $100,000 in real estate. I have an agent on my team who will make $70,000 this year and live the best life she’s ever had.”
The Solution:
- Define your specific income needs vs. wants
- Create a written vision of your ideal lifestyle
- Set “non-negotiables” (family time, health, hobbies) first
- Build business around your life, not life around business
How Will You Know if You’re Experiencing Real Estate Burnout?
Real estate burnout has specific warning signs that differ from general stress:
Behavioral Signs:
- Not returning client calls promptly
- Postponing or canceling listing presentations
- Avoiding prospecting calls despite needing business
- Spending excessive time on low-value activities
- Missing appointments or showing up unprepared
Emotional Signs:
- Feeling apathetic about potential opportunities
- Dreading client interactions
- Comparing yourself constantly to other agents
- Loss of enthusiasm for helping clients
- Cynicism about the industry or market conditions
Physical Signs:
- Difficulty concentrating during client meetings
- Forgetting important client details or preferences
- Procrastinating on important business tasks
- Working long hours but accomplishing little
- Difficulty making decisions about business direction
If you’re experiencing three or more of these symptoms regularly, you’re likely dealing with real estate burnout, not just busy periods.
How to Fix Real Estate Burnout (With the Intentional Imbalance Method)
Here’s the dirty secret of burnout in real estate.
You don’t fix it the same way you might address burnout in other industries. Real estate agents are entrepreneurs, and when they aren’t managing their business, their business suffers.
That’s why you don’t fix burnout with a vacation. You fix burnout with a vision.
Let’s face it, you will never find a perfect ‘work-life’ balance as a real estate agent.
So instead seeking perfect equilibrium, try for something Andy calls intentional imbalance: strategic periods of focused intensity balanced by activities that genuinely energize you.
“Michael Phelps didn’t spend equal time in the pool and at the beach,” Andy explains. “Kobe Bryant didn’t balance basketball with everything else. They made intentional choices about when to surge and when to recover. That’s intentional imbalance.”
So how do you achieve ‘Intentional Imbalance’ in real estate? Try this two category system of “Fuel & Maintenance”.
The Fuel & Maintenance System
Category 1: Energy-Giving Activities (Your “Fuel”) These are the parts of real estate that make you excited to start your day:
- Helping clients achieve their dreams (listing presentations, first-time buyer meetings)
- The thrill of negotiation and closing deals
- Building relationships with past clients and referral partners
- Mastering your craft (learning new marketing techniques, perfecting scripts)
- Seeing tangible results from systematic activities (expired listing conversions)
The things that bring you energy and fuel you day will look different from agent to agent. Define these and know them intimately.
Category 2: Energy-Draining But Necessary Activities (Your “Maintenance”) These sustain your business but don’t spark joy:
- Administrative paperwork and transaction management
- Compliance requirements and legal documentation
- Follow-up calls to cold leads who aren’t ready
- Marketing activities that don’t produce immediate results
- Problem-solving when deals go sideways
Again, these things might bring you business, but take more out of you. They also look different agent to agent. Some agents might love prospecting. Some agents might love marketing.
The Intentional Imbalance Framework
Instead of trying to balance these 50/50 every day, intentionally imbalance your schedule:
High-Energy Surge Periods (Monday-Wednesday):
- 80% energy-giving activities: Focus entirely on what fires you up
- Schedule all listing presentations, buyer consultations, and relationship-building
- Batch your most challenging prospecting when motivation is highest
- Take on complex negotiations that require your best mental energy
Maintenance Recovery Periods (Thursday-Friday):
- 80% necessary but draining activities: Clear the administrative backlog
- Process paperwork, update systems, handle compliance requirements
- Do routine follow-up calls and administrative tasks
- Plan and prepare for the next surge period
Complete Disconnection (Weekends or Personal Days):
- 0% real estate activities: Total separation from work
- Pursue hobbies, family time, or activities that restore your energy
- No checking emails, no “quick calls,” no exceptions
- Return Monday morning genuinely excited to dive back in
Why Intentional Imbalance Works When “Balance” Fails
It may seem backwards, but traditional work-life balance assumes you can maintain consistent energy across all activities. Intentional imbalance recognizes that some work energizes you while other work depletes you. The strategy maximizes energy-giving activities when you’re strongest and batches energy-draining tasks when you can power through them systematically.
Andy’s Real-World Example:
“During my peak prospecting season, I’ll work 12-hour days Monday through Wednesday, but they don’t feel like work because I’m doing what I love—talking to potential clients, solving problems, closing deals. Thursday and Friday, I handle all the paperwork and administrative stuff when my energy for client interaction is lower. Then I completely disconnect on weekends and come back Monday morning excited to prospect again.“
The result: Instead of being moderately drained every day, you have periods of genuine excitement about your business balanced by efficient handling of necessary tasks and complete restoration periods.
Why this system works: Most burned-out agents try to do everything every day and end up doing nothing well. Intentional imbalance lets you excel at what energizes you while systematically handling what doesn’t.
The key insight: Real estate burnout happens when you lose sight of why you entered the business.
Intentional imbalance keeps you connected to the energy-giving aspects of helping clients while preventing the administrative burden from overwhelming your passion for the work.
Breaking Through Real Estate Burnout Requires Breaking the Pattern
The market won’t improve soon. With mortgage rates expected to remain between 6.5-7% through 2025 and inventory still below balanced levels, challenging conditions will persist.
But that’s exactly why systematic approaches matter more than ever.
The Choice: While 71% of agents close zero transactions, those with systems thrive. The difference is in the methodology.
Andy Nelson proves that with the right approach, it’s possible to build a thriving business while maintaining personal well-being.
Real estate has always been challenging. Today, with the lowest transaction volumes since 1995 and unprecedented market complexity, it’s become nearly impossible without proper systems.
Yet agents who understand this distinction will own the next decade of real estate.
The question isn’t whether you’ll experience real estate burnout. It’s whether you’ll build the systems to prevent it.
Need an easy system that can help you break through burnout? REDX offers the data, tools, and training you need to build the systems that keep you motivated. Visit redx.com to learn more about how we can help you get 3x more listings than the average real estate agent.
