What Burnout Really Looks Like and What You Can Do About It
BY LEE NELSON Lee Nelson is a freelance journalist from Illinois. She writes for REALTOR® Magazine, several state REALTOR® Magazines and websites, and loanDepot.com.
Job burnout is not just about having a bad week or feeling tired day to day. “Burnout is a sense of chronic cynicism or frustration,” says Paula Davis, founder of the Stress & Resilience Institute, Milwaukee. She also is the author of “Beating Burnout at Work.” For real estate professionals, burnout can show up in thoughts like: “My clients are annoying me. Do I really have to jump in and help them again?” she added. “Yes, that’s your job, but you start to feel that annoyance with the people you are specifically called to help.” Another sign of burnout is a growing sense of apathy — the “who cares” or “why bother” mindset. For instance, an agent might think, “The market is what it is. I can’t change anything.” That’s disengagement from your work. For Carla Reynolds, burnout feels like there is always someone waiting for you to do something — whether it’s a client, colleague, family member or friend. “I would guess that every agent who was actively helping buyers and sellers during the COVID boom had some experience with burnout,” states Reynolds, owner and broker-in-charge of NC 12 Realty in Buxton, NC. “We had so much interest from buyers who wanted a place at the beach when we were not required in office, plus so little inventory to sell them. It was hard to keep up.” 16 INSIGHT • August 2025
What Burnout Is — And What it Feels Like
In 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) recognized burnout as an occupational phenomenon. While not classified as a medical condition, the syndrome is listed in the WHO’s handbook of medical diagnoses. It is characterized by three dimensions: • Feelings of exhaustion • Increased mental distance from your job or feelings of cynicism and negativity toward it • Reduced professional effectiveness