Being Right Is Not The Same as Doing Right

By Margaret Rome

7. 29. 2026

One of the greatest misconceptions about real estate is that it is simply a matter of putting a house on the market, accepting an offer, signing papers, and going to settlement.

If only it were that simple.

Behind every successful transaction are hundreds of decisions, countless conversations, legal requirements, inspections, financing deadlines, title work, negotiations, and dozens of moments when things can go wonderfully right or terribly wrong.

After more than three decades in real estate, I have come to believe there is one lesson more important than any contract clause, disclosure, or legal form.

There is a difference between being legally right and doing what is morally right.

Our contracts have grown from a page or two into documents that can exceed forty or fifty pages. Every signature matters. Every initial matters. Every deadline matters. They should. Those documents exist because our profession has learned, often the hard way, that every "what if" eventually happens.

The law is clear. If a required signature or initial is missing, a contract may be voidable. Those rules protect everyone, and as professionals we have an obligation to follow them carefully.

But every once in a while, a situation comes along that asks a different question.

Not, "Can we do this?"

But, "Should we?"

Years ago, I represented a seller whose home attracted a wonderful young couple. They fell in love with the property. We negotiated a deal, everyone shook hands, and we were working through the final details.

Then another buyer appeared with an offer that exceeded the first by $75,000.

Technically, there were still a few missing initials.

Legally, there may have been an opportunity to walk away.

I presented the facts to my seller because that is my responsibility. The seller looked at me and quietly said, "Didn't we already give these buyers our word?"

"Yes," I answered. "Then that's our answer."

I also explained the situation to the buyers. If they agreed to step aside, they could receive enough money to make a significant down payment on another home.

Their answer was immediate. "No. We gave our word. We want this house."

Neither side chose the option that would have put more money in their pocket.

Both chose integrity.

That transaction has stayed with me for years because it demonstrated something our profession sometimes forgets.

Character is revealed when no one is forcing us to do the right thing.

I am not writing this to criticize real estate professionals. In fact, I believe the opposite is true.

The overwhelming majority of experienced agents I have worked with throughout my career are ethical, compassionate, and deeply committed to serving their clients well. They solve problems quietly. They protect their clients from unnecessary stress. They spend hours resolving issues the public never sees because professionalism often means making difficult situations appear effortless.

But we cannot pretend difficult situations don't exist.

Consumers deserve to understand that real estate is not simply paperwork. It is a profession built on trust.

When trust disappears, everyone loses.

A buyer who believes they have a home can lose it over a technicality.

A seller can be encouraged to pursue a few extra dollars while sacrificing the promise they already made.

Agents can become so focused on what is legally permissible that they forget what is ethically admirable.

Our Code of Ethics is essential. It establishes standards for our profession and reminds us how we should conduct ourselves. Yet no written code can create integrity where integrity does not already exist.

Integrity is a personal choice.

It is choosing honesty when a shortcut is available.

It is keeping your word when no one could force you to.

It is remembering that every file on your desk represents someone's savings, family, future, and peace of mind.

I have always believed our responsibility is larger than getting to settlement.

Our responsibility is to protect our clients, educate them, prepare them for the unexpected, and conduct ourselves in a way that strengthens public confidence in our profession rather than weakens it.

Real estate is filled with contracts.

But the strongest foundation has never been the paper.

It has always been the character of the people signing it.

Perhaps that is the lesson our industry should continue teaching, not because the law requires it, but because our profession deserves it.