Real Estate Tale EP.9: The Agent’s Trap — Image or Illusion

Real Estate Fairy Tale EP.9: The Trap of the Agent Life
Image or Illusion
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When ordinary people see a real‑estate agent on Facebook
A polished face, perfectly styled hair
Dressed to kill
Shiny leather shoes like mirrors
Driving a BMW to stand in front of a 10‑million‑baht house
Selfie with the homeowner
Then caption…
“Closing the deal today, sir/madam owner”
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Opening like this
Wow… who wouldn’t want this job?
Everyone thinks… yeah right
Easy job, good money, dress nice
Post nicely on social, then wait for commission to hit the bank
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But do you know what the reality behind it is?
The truth is…
Before I stood there taking the picture in front of the house
I sat eating sticky rice with shredded pork in the car
Because I had no time to stop and eat at a shop
The golden Starbucks cup in my hand
Inside was a 12‑baht canned coffee, ice diluted it to instant cold water
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That suit? I ironed it myself, washed it myself, hung it myself
Because the laundry shop charged 60 baht
(60 baht — I could’ve bought 5 cans of 12‑baht coffee with that)
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Those shiny shoes? I didn’t polish them
I walked through back gardens and the dirt got on my shoes
So I wiped them with a wet tissue — and that’s why they shine
But when posting, people think
“Dude! The job looks so relaxing”
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And the European car in the photo… don’t misunderstand
Sometimes it’s not my car
When I went to open the house
I drove a Honda City 2014, the insurance was 2 years overdue
Parked it just beside
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The client drove the BMW and parked right in front of the house
“Nice car” I thought, “let me lean on it for a moment as a prop”
Post done. Friends comment “Your life is so good, man”
Good… but I can’t even afford payments on this car
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When we schedule at a fancy café with 100+ baht drinks
In my mind I want to drink roadside iced black coffee for 20 baht
No froth needed
Just 2 boiled eggs would do
Sign the contract then
So I have energy for next job
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But I’m afraid client sees it
And credibility is lost
Discussing a 10‑million or 100‑million‑baht house
In a luxury café
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In my mind I say only
“Please don’t order anything expensive, I can’t afford this”
But my lips say…
“Would you like something more, sir/madam? I’ll treat”
While I already drank my water only
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Some days going to a new project
Free cold juice served, air‑condition chilled
Bossa nova playing softly
Feels like a 5‑star rooftop bar
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Walking sipping water, smiling
Talking to this one, that one
Confident face, half‑drunk vibe
Like a 1‑billion‑baht investor inspecting project
But stepping outside the project…
I’m on phone calling an old client
“Dear client, I just got info on a new project. Interested to view?”
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The image takes me far
But the numbers in my bank account… stay as still as that image
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Friends on Facebook say “Wow, your life is so good, I want your job”
You want it? Come on in
This month I still haven’t got petrol money
But I don’t say it out
Because I don’t want anyone to know
That my life behind the scenes isn’t as shiny as the feed
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The harshest trap for agents
Is having to look good all the time
Sometimes the wallet is thin as paper
But the face must be firm, suit must be expensive
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Because clients buying houses
They buy confidence too
So we must play the role perfectly
Even though some nights we go home to instant noodles thinking
“Will I close a deal this month?”
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And another truth…
This job isn’t just selling houses
It sells belief and hope too
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When I bring clients to see houses
I must make them feel “This is the dream house”
While inside I think
“Please just put the deposit… I owe the credit‑card bill”
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And do you know what’s the funniest?
Some clients ask directly
“Agent job… are you rich?”
We smile and answer “I’m okay”
…While inside I’m thinking
“I must be okay, if I stop doing this what will I eat?”
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Agent life is like a stage play
That never closes the curtain
Every day is a new performance
But audience doesn’t know behind the stage…
How exhausted we are
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We smile all the time, posture strong all the time
Wherever we walk we must look confident
Because we don’t know who walking past us
Might be the next client
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In this business… if you don’t balance your life well
In the end you might be only a picture
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But we still keep going because we believe…
One day the image we build
Won’t be just a jpg
But the real life we live
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You guys have seen a lot of the good angles already
Now I’ll share three stories they don’t talk about

Story brutal 1 – Scheduled & ghosted
Once I scheduled a client to view a house in Bang Na at 11 am
I woke at 6 am
Shaved, dressed, polished shoes, washed the car
Sit prepping info seriously
Arrived at the house nearly an hour early
Surveying the project
Building confidence in myself like I was the owner presenting
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But waiting… waiting… until 1 pm
Call but no answer
Finally got a message in the evening “Sorry I’m busy, urgent meeting”
Argh!!!! If you told me early
I could’ve had 3 more naps instead!
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Story brutal 2 – Client ghosts in the rain
Another time, view luxury condo riverside
That day heavy rain
I drove there anyway
While tires half submerged
Stepped out of car into building
Suit soaked as if playing Songkran
My hair I’d styled well earlier
In the lobby I call client…
He says “Not convenient in heavy rain today”
What?! I’m here already!!!
Rain made me soaked worse
You still ghost me and I get wetter too
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Story brutal 3 – Deal done but numbers not done
Sold the house, cried with joy
Because it was 3‑month fight
But on transfer day
The fees announced earlier didn’t match
The old owner doesn’t pay…
The buyer looks at me “So who handles this?”
In the end I run around sorting it all
Who gets the “lottery”?
Agent, damn!!!
Have to share part of commission for transfer fee
Thought I’d get xyz…
In the end almost nothing left.
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Ultimately… agent profession
Is not a glamorous job like social media
It’s a job where we must show readiness
While inside we might be totally unready
It’s smiling
Even when just got ghosted
It’s dressing up
Even when wallet has only one‑hundred baht left
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We do it because we believe…
If we make clients believe they’ll get their dream house
One day we’ll get our dream life too
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But along the way… don’t forget to take care of yourself
Don’t let the image get total likes
While the real life goes bankrupt
Because the image matters true
But real life matters more
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If you see an agent posting with a BMW in front of a 10‑million‑baht house
Don’t assume they’re rich…
Maybe it’s the client’s car
Or maybe… just parked beside the house and they leaned on it
That’s it.
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