Truth is stranger than fiction.
Anyone in the real estate industry has countless ‘WTF’ stories to prove it.
All @thebrokeagent had to do was ask, “What’s the worst thing that’s happened to you on closing day?” And the stories came flooding in (with 1,012 comments and counting).
Agents did not hold back, sharing stories involving everything from buyer no-shows to catastrophic weather and lawsuit threats. Scroll through for some of the craziest stories in the comment section.
Fair warning: some agents have reported developing ulcers or losing the last shreds of their faith in humanity after reading comments. We think it’s worth the risk.
Problems with the house
Sometimes the problem is with the house itself—or something that happened to it right before closing.
Buyer hold-ups
Sometimes the buyer is the one responsible for a closing day gone wrong. Most agents have experienced the buyer who quit his job or ruined their credit with a new purchase…but these stories go above and beyond.
Seller hold-ups
Other times, it’s the seller holding up the sale—and, in some cases, they can’t even help it.
Lawsuit threats
Lawsuits around closing are nothing new, though some of the details certainly can be.
When nature intervenes
Sometimes, the thing that wrecks your closing is a fickle act of nature—whether it’s a freak snow storm, a monsoon, or intense heat and humidity.
Or it could be a bug infestation. We’ll let you decide which is worse.
Agent mistakes
Finally, some of the horror stories involved mistakes made by the agents themselves.
Common Themes in Comments
After cruising through the comments, we noted a few things:
- Deaths before closing day are surprisingly common
- Divorces, too — along with “Did I not mention I’m married?” disclosures
- Ditto with floodings and overnight thefts of copper pipes
- Many buyers still don’t realize buying a car could impact their ability to close
- It’s not unusual for sellers to change their minds about selling—on closing day
In a nutshell, whatever crazy situation you find yourself in when a closing day comes near, you can bank on legions of other agents going through similar stress. We are not alone.
