Integrity in Real Estate & What it Looks Like to Go the Extra Mile

One of the things I love most about my work is the privilege of partnering with truly exceptional agents. Today, I want to share a story about Chad, one of our incredible associate brokers at One Nest Realty, that perfectly illustrates the kind of dedication and integrity that makes our team so special.

Chad has been working tirelessly with a wonderful buyer (a VA veteran) who has unique challenges with his funding and home requirements. After months of searching and countless showings, they finally found "the one." But as with many good stories, there was a twist: the seller, represented by a relocation company, included an unusual rider to the standard Colorado purchase contract.

Now, anyone in real estate knows additional provisions or proprietary contracts aren’t uncommon - builders and relocation companies often use them. This one looked fairly standard at first glance, but Chad did what too few agents do: he read every word. Realizing the potential risks, he escalated the document to me for further review.

As real estate agents, we’re not authorized or qualified to provide legal counsel or assessment of contract terms outside the bounds of DRE approved contracts and forms. But we do work with contracts day in and day out, and it’s our fiduciary duty to understand, identify red flags, and hit the brakes if we feel a client is heading into a situation where they don’t fully understand their obligations and liability. This was one of those situations.

Time was limited, and our buyer (despite our urging) felt he didn’t have the resources to contact an attorney for help.

While Chad skillfully negotiated extra time with the sellers (despite their pressure to finalize the deal quickly), I spent hours poring over the 8-page rider, cross-referencing every clause against the standard Colorado real estate contracts and drafting a detailed memo of discrepancies to share with our brokerage attorney. This saved valuable attorney review time while ensuring no detail was overlooked.

We were able to provide our client, at no charge to him, the legal counsel he needed to understand the risks and make an informed decision.

The buyer ultimately chose to walk away - a difficult but prudent choice - and Chad supported him every step of the way. Even though it meant starting the search all over again, Chad never wavered in his commitment to doing what was best for his client.

Ours is a unique industry where you can work for days, weeks, or months without a paycheck for good work completed. It’s the nature of the business and something we’re all used to. But it’s also worth calling out, especially in situations like this where doing the best thing for the client means going back to square one - and not earning a dime more for it.

Chad didn’t just do his job; he went far above and beyond to protect his client. He put his client’s needs ahead of his own paycheck, showing the kind of care and professionalism that, frankly, isn’t as common as it should be in this industry.

Contrast this with another agent (outside our brokerage) that our broker, Liz, has been working with on a deal. He’s representing buyers purchasing her listing, but the number of critical deadlines he’s missed and contract paperwork he’s let slip through the cracks is astonishing. Sadly, that’s not unusual. His buyers could have lost their earnest money and the home if not for Liz’s incredible professionalism, constant reminders, and deadline extensions. Those buyers will likely never know how many errors their agent made - or that it’s Liz, the listing agent, they have to thank for holding the deal together on their beautiful new home.

Not all agents bring the same level of dedication, and it’s why choosing the right agent matters so much.

At One Nest Realty, I’m proud to work with a team that’s defined by honesty, attention to detail, and a genuine commitment to our clients.

Every one of us has similar stories. Diana is in the middle of one right now, helping her buyers navigate away from a subpar deal to something much better; it’s hours of extra work for her, but it’s the right thing to do and she’s 110% there for them.

These stories remind me why I’m so passionate about what we do and who we are as a brokerage.

If you’re in the market for a home, or just want to know what sets a great agent apart from the rest, let’s chat. The difference can truly change your entire experience. 💛

#RealEstateWithIntegrity #OneNestRealty #ChooseYourAgentWisely