324: Navigating Contingent Contracts in Real Estate

Hustle Humbly Podcast

Alissa Jenkins & Katy Caldwell

Entrepreneurship, Business

4.9 • 914 Ratings

🗓️ 20 October 2025

⏱️ 59 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Contingencies are back — and they're anything but simple.

In today's market, contingent offers are popping up left and right, and we've got stories. From getting stuck in a 60-day stalemate to crafting creative clauses that save the deal, we're sharing what it really looks like to handle contingent offers like a pro.

This episode is not your typical contract rundown (although if that's what you want, check out Episode 218). Instead, we're digging into real-life examples of contingencies gone sideways and how those experiences have changed the way we approach them forever.

Whether you're the listing agent fielding a "my house isn't even on the market yet" offer, or the buyer's agent trying to keep your clients from panicking mid-deal — this one's for you.

Here's what we cover in this episode:

The #1 mistake agents make with contingent buyers
Why contingent offers feel riskier in today's buyer-driven market
How to protect your seller and keep the deal alive
Contingency timelines that actually work
Why listing status changes matter more than you think
The verbiage Katy and Alissa now add to every contingency deal
What to do when your buyer panics mid-transaction
How to coach buyers and sellers through backup plans (Plan A, B, and C!)

Key Quotes & Takeaways

"You're on a train headed nowhere — that's what it feels like when a contingency stalls." — Alissa

"Buyers see contingent status and think it's pending. Agents do too. That's the real problem." — Katy

"Don't get stuck in a 60-day trap. Put timelines and expectations in writing from the beginning." — Alissa

"If your buyer can't sleep, you've got a problem. Help them make an educated decision, not an emotional one." — Katy

Products, People & Previous Episodes Mentioned:

Episode 218: Real Estate Contingencies Explained
Episode 65: Buying and Selling at the Same Time
Email Templates 101: https://emailtemplates101.com
Agent Systems 101: https://agentsystems101.com

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Music:

Straight A's by Conner Price

The Good Life by Summer Kennedy

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Someone called the Alyssa Hotline.
0:04.0	I don't like being in that place.
0:06.3	I think people make bad decisions from an emotional state.
0:10.9	I had just gotten stuck in a contingency and I had no control.
0:15.9	You're on a train headed nowhere.
0:18.2	Yes.
0:18.9	It's a very daunting place to be in. I don't love it. We're just trying to force something to work. Yes. It's a very daunting place to be in. I don't love it.
0:21.6	I was just trying to force something to work. Yes. The buyers call their agent and are freaking out.
0:29.6	I just need you to cancel everything. This is Rajile. You just send them over cancellation and you go cry into a pillow.
0:39.3	I would call that creative strategizing.
0:42.3	Oh, I can't wait.
0:44.3	Hi y'all. Welcome to Hustle Humbly.
0:48.3	It's Alyssa and Katie, and we are two active realtors in the Baton Rouge market.
0:52.3	We work for two different companies where we should be competitors,
0:55.7	but we have chosen community over competition.
0:57.9	The goal of our podcast is to encourage you to find your own way in business.
1:01.7	So stop comparing yourself and start embracing your strength.
1:06.7	Hi, Alyssa.
1:07.7	Hey, Katie.
1:08.1	Welcome to episode 324.
1:14.4	Contingencies. Woo-hoo. I mean, right.
1:21.9	Woo-hoo. I don't know if this is a very good sign. We did have an episode in 2023.
	...

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