Real estate transactions can test REALTORS® in a variety of ways, from fragile deals, anxious clients and a market that demands everything you’ve got. During our latest YPN Breakfast, moderator Chloe Reynolds of COMPASS joined three local professionals who have figured out how to thrive without burning out. Keep reading for their most actionable insights on boundaries, mindset and protecting your energy for the long haul.
Meet the Panel
Chloe Reynolds
Team Lead | Chloe Reynolds Group, COMPASS
Moderator
Irina
Bugatova
Co-Owner | Red Carpet Investment Group
Panelist
Kellye Jackson
Principal Agent | Central Team, Redfin
Panelist
Lance Kirshner
Team Leader | LAKE Group, COMPASS
Panelist
Find What Grounds You & Protect It Fiercely
Longevity in this business isn’t just about hustle — it’s about knowing what fills you back up.
For Lance Kirshner, it’s the gym. Every day, no exceptions. “I can tell after a couple days when I have not been,” he said. “Mentally, I can tell.”
For Irina Bugatova, it’s yoga, faith and gardening she never skips. Kellye Jackson keeps it simple: time with family and friends that reminds her why she’s grinding in the first place.
Action Step: Make a short list of two or three things that genuinely recharge you. Then, treat those things like client appointments. Block the time and don’t negotiate it away.
Routines Are Your Secret Weapon in Any Market
Kirshner has navigated more than two decades of markets, and this is what he’s learned: every year tests you, just differently. What separates professionals who sustain long careers from those who burn out is the consistency of their routines.
“Sticking with my routine in any market has really helped me mentally,” Kirshner said. Bugatova added a useful reframe: routines don’t have to be rigid. “You have to be an oak sometimes and a willow other times.” The goal is to have anchors you can return to when things get chaotic.
Quick Tip: You don’t need a 12-step morning routine. Pick one or two non-negotiables — a workout, 15 minutes of email triage, a walk — and commit to those even when everything else is unpredictable. Jackson, a mother of twins, put it best: “I have checkpoints for my checkpoints so that even if I need to give myself grace, I don’t spiral.”
Set Boundaries Out Loud Before You Need Them
All three panelists agreed on this: boundaries only work if you communicate them up front. Waiting until a client is already texting you at 11:00 PM to establish expectations is too late.
Jackson lets her clients know from day one that school drop-off is non-negotiable before 9:00 AM. Bugatova is direct: “It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it. You can be absolutely polite, respectful, yet strong.” Kirshner frames his team structure as a benefit for clients rather than a limitation, and sets that expectation at the very first meeting.
Action Step: Write out two or three personal non-negotiables before your next buyer or seller consultation. Then communicate them to your client during that first conversation. Clients who respect you as a professional will respect the boundaries you set clearly and early.
Your Expertise Is the Antidote to Client Anxiety
In a market where buyers are losing out on multiple properties and deals feel fragile, client anxiety is inevitable. The panelists’ advice: don’t absorb it, but redirect it.
“Most anxiety is stemmed in fear, and a lot of fear is the unknown,” Jackson said. “That’s our moment to step in and show our value.”
Bugatova went on to say: “What’s not mine to carry is your emotional turmoil. Once I get attached to that, there’s no way out.” Kirshner noted that the market will always produce anxiety — the question is how you respond to it.
Quick Tip: When a client spirals, resist the urge to match their energy. Ground yourself in what you know: the comps, the process, the specific dynamics of this deal. Your calm is the most valuable thing you can offer.
AI Is in the Room. Here’s How to Handle It.
All three panelists have had clients show up with AI-generated advice that complicated a transaction. The key is not to take it personally.
“One thing ChatGPT can’t provide is community expertise or situational awareness of this particular deal,” Jackson said. Kirshner cuts to the chase with clients: “That’s from an aerial view. I am talking to you about a nuanced situation on a condo here in Chicago where we beat out six other groups. Did you tell ChatGPT there were seven offers?” Bugatova goes straight to the source — if she suspects a client used it, she asks directly: “Let’s go step by step and actually dissect it.”
Action Step: Don’t fight the tool. Instead, contextualize it. Acknowledge what the AI got right, then demonstrate exactly where your local knowledge, negotiating experience and situational judgment make the difference.
Know When, and How, to Fire a Client
When it comes to firing clients, the panel shared a unanimous message: red flags you see on day one rarely get better.
“You kind of talk yourself into it,” Kirshner said, “and then it’s almost like a self-fulfilling prophecy.” Jackson’s standard is mutual respect: “Whenever there isn’t a mutual respect or understanding, I’m okay with moving forward and trusting that there’s something better on the other side for me and for them.” Bugatova looks for the moment when trust breaks down: “If we work together, we trust each other. If you don’t trust me, we don’t work together.”
Action Step: If a client relationship is costing you more mental energy than the commission is worth, have the conversation. Call, don’t text or email. Keep it professional, leave the door open if it’s genuine and don’t make it personal. Your time and energy are finite. Spend them on clients who value your expertise.
Build a Team That Buys You Time
Both Kirshner and Jackson spoke to the transformative impact of building systems and teams that allow them to deliver concierge-level service without being the single point of contact for everything. Kirshner runs a seven-person team where every transaction is made up of three people — him, a co-agent and an operations manager. That structure is what allows him to take 8 to 10 vacations a year, including most of December.
“I had to take a look at my business and say, what is sustainable?” he said. “Because if I continued down that path, maybe I could make it 10 years — but that’s it.”
Action Step: You don’t need a full team to start building systems. Identify the one task that drains you most — showing coordination, transaction follow-up, lead qualification — and explore whether a part-time hire, a transaction coordinator or a trusted colleague could take it on. One well-placed delegate can change everything.
Ready to take one idea from today’s panel and put it into practice? Start small, with one boundary conversation, one non-negotiable protected, one red-flag client addressed honestly. Your business and your mental health will thank you.
Additional Resources
- Manage Your Mental Health with These Tips and Tools from Chicago REALTOR® Magazine
- Mentally Managing the Real Estate Rollercoaster: A YPN Breakfast Recap
- Rethinking the Hustle: A YPN Breakfast Recap
- Use these Apps for Wellness from Chicago REALTOR® Magazine
- YPN Breakfast Panel: Lifestyle & Wellness