Published April 17, 2025

What the Agent Said vs. What They Meant: The Admin Survival Guide

Written by Brittany Boyles

What the Agent Said vs. What They Meant: The Admin Survival Guide

If you're new to real estate, buckle up—because you’re about to discover that agents and admin speak two completely different languages. And no, Rosetta Stone won’t save you. In this world, clarity is everything, and it's often what goes unsaid that matters most.

Whether you're an admin trying to decode vague texts like “We’re good on that” or an agent wondering why your TC looks like they're two emails away from a nervous breakdown, we’ve got you covered. Instead of constantly asking, “Wait... what do you mean by that?”—we’ve created a handy translation guide to help you navigate the chaos with your sanity (mostly) intact.

Enjoy the Schitt’s Creek memes for emotional support. Because if Moira can pack wigs for every occasion, you can pack patience for every transaction.

🗂️ The documents should be there

I think I uploaded them.. but didn’t double check and don’t plan to double check, you got this!

🗝️ The seller gave me the keys, but I don’t know where they are

I need you to call a Locksmith and fix this.

💭 *Response to a question* “We could..”

I need you to come to a conclusion and let me know what it is so I can agree..or disagree with it.

📩 “Not sure what’s going on with that."

I haven’t been reading the emails I am copied on so give me a quick summary and/or let me know the resolution.

📞 “John Smith called me, I’m not sure what they wanted”

I need you to call them back and see what they need

🤔 “Good question”

I don’t know, let me know what the answer is when you find out!

✨ *Tells client* “Yeah, we can definitely get that worked out once the contract is signed”

Translation: Admin will make that happen through sheer will and magic.

⌚“I told the clients we’d get back to them soon.”
This is now your top priority. If there’s no update in 30 minutes, expect a gentle “Just checking in!” text from me.

😇 “The clients are super nice”

The clients are super nice as long as everything goes their way, there are no hiccups whatsoever, and you give them all of your attention.

📵 “I’m about to hop into an appointment.”

I can’t/don’t want to handle this right now. Please pretend I don’t exist for the next few hours.

⏱️ “I just have a quick question.”
This will be a 20-minute conversation that leads to five new tasks for you.

Its As Simple As That Moira GIF - Its As Simple As That Moira Moira Rose - Discover & Share GIFs

In Conclusion...

If you’ve ever found yourself decoding vague texts, chasing phantom documents, or trying to guess which “quick question” just hijacked your entire afternoon—congrats, you’re fluent in Agent-ish. As an admin, you are the translator, the fixer, the emotional support human, and the person who magically “just handles it” when everyone else is “about to hop into an appointment.”

Real estate may be chaotic, but with a sense of humor, a gallon of caffeine, and a spreadsheet that could bring NASA to its knees, you’ve got this.

Want to know how we juggle 400+ transactions a year—and survive the daily plot twists of multiple agents? We’d love to connect, commiserate, and share our secret sauce.

📩 Our inbox is always open (and yes, we actually check it). 😉