My Colleagues Said I Was Too Old to Be a Real Estate Agent, Until I Sold the 'Haunted House' No One Dared to Take — Story of the Day

After my divorce, I started a new life and a new career my younger coworkers thought I was too old for. They mocked me until I took on the house no one else would touch, a so-called “haunted” property. But what I uncovered there proved age isn’t the only thing people misjudge.

You never really know what life has planned for you. That’s the beauty and the curse of it. Not long ago, I was a housewife in a thirty-year marriage, raising two grown kids and worrying only about what to make for dinner.

You never really know what life has planned for you

Until the evening I opened our bedroom door and saw my husband with a woman young enough to be our daughter.

There was no screaming, no throwing dishes, no crying. I just turned around, packed a suitcase, and walked out. After all, I was too old for melodrama. The next morning, I filed for divorce.

Everyone said I was crazy.

I was too old for melodrama

My ex-husband, my daughter, even my son told me to forgive him, to “be practical.” They said living alone at my age was a bad idea, that I’d regret it.

But I’d spent my whole adult life taking care of everyone else. For the first time, I had to take care of myself.

I tried different things, but nothing filled the emptiness.

For the first time, I had to take care of myself

Then, one evening, as I was scrolling through job listings, a phrase caught my eye: Real Estate Licensing Course — New Career at Any Age. Maybe it wasn’t too late.

The classes were harder than I expected. My memory wasn’t what it used to be. But finding a job, though, turned out to be the real challenge.

I sent out résumé after résumé, dressed up for interviews, and smiled through polite rejections.

My memory wasn’t what it used to be

“We’re looking for someone with more energy,” one broker said.

“More experience,” said another.

But their eyes always told the truth:

You’re too old

After months of disappointment, I finally got an email that started with the magic words: We’d like to offer you a position.

On my first day, I stood in front of the mirror for almost an hour, adjusting my new navy suit.

It had cost me more than I could afford, but I wanted to look professional. The office was bright and modern, filled with shiny screens and even shinier people.

We’d like to offer you a position

At lunch, the illusion cracked. Everyone gathered around a large table, laughing and not one of them offered me a seat.

So I took my salad and sat at the smaller table by the window, pretending not to notice. I heard them whispering, then laughing louder.

“Did you see her outfit? My grandma dresses like that,” Tina snickered.

At lunch, the illusion cracked

“She won’t last two weeks,” Jake laughed.

“I give her one open house before she quits,” someone else chimed in.

The words hit like cold water. I kept my head down, stabbing at the lettuce, pretending I didn’t hear.

“She won’t last two weeks”

After lunch, I was heading back to my desk when I heard familiar voices near the break room, Jake and Tina. I slowed down just enough to listen.

“I swear, that house is a curse,” Jake said. “Two years, and we can’t get rid of it. Every buyer backs out.”

“Then stop wasting time on it,” Tina said. “Give it to someone who doesn’t mind failing.”

“I swear, that house is a curse”

Jake smirked. “Who’d take it? It’s a dead listing.”

“I will,” I said, stepping inside.

They turned toward me, both surprised and amused.

“I will”

“You?” Jake raised an eyebrow. “Maggie, this isn’t some cozy family home. This place eats rookies alive.”

“I’ll handle it.”

Tina crossed her arms. “You don’t even know the story behind it.”

“You?”

“Then tell me,” I said.

Jake leaned back against the counter. “A young woman died there. Not murder, she was sick. But people love their drama, so they started calling it ‘the haunted house.’ Now nobody will touch it.”

“A young woman died there”

Tina added with a grin, “Half the town says her ghost still lives there. You’ll be selling it to the spirits, Maggie.”

“People die in houses every day,” I said. “That doesn’t make them cursed.”

Jake laughed. “Try telling that to our clients. They hear one whisper about a ghost, and they run.”

“Half the town says her ghost still lives there”

“Well, I don’t believe in ghosts.” I said.

He smirked. “Then go ahead. But I’ll tell you this – if you sell that place, I’ll eat my sock.”

“Deal,” I said, stretching out my hand.

“Well, I don’t believe in ghosts”

Tina burst out laughing while Jake shook his head, still smiling. “Fine. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

He pulled out a ring of keys, found the right one, and tossed it to me. “Good luck, grandma.”

I didn’t answer. I just turned and left.

“Good luck, grandma”

The house stood at the edge of town, a two-story place with a wide porch and fading blue paint.

It wasn’t beautiful, but it wasn’t cursed either.

Inside, everything was still. A few cobwebs, some peeling wallpaper, but the bones were solid. I walked through each room, taking photos and notes.

It wasn’t beautiful, but it wasn’t cursed either

That night, when the office was empty and the cleaning lady had already turned off the lights, I was still there.

Editing photos, writing the perfect description, making sure everything looked just right.

I didn’t stop until the ad went live.

That night, when the office was empty and the cleaning lady had already turned off the lights, I was still there

The next morning, my phone rang as soon as I sat down.

“Hi, this is Chloe,” a young woman’s voice said. “My fiancé and I saw the listing on Maple Street. We’re interested in seeing it today.”

“Wonderful,” I said. “Would noon work for you?”

“We’re interested in seeing it today”

“Perfect,” she replied cheerfully.

When I hung up, Jake was leaning against my desk with a smug smile.

“Already found someone for the haunted house?” he asked.

“Perfect”

“Yes,” I said.

Tina giggled. “Better bring some holy water.”

Jake added, “At least you won’t go gray from fear — you’re already there.”

“Better bring some holy water”

I met his eyes. “Keep that sock handy,” I said and grabbed my bag.

At noon, I drove to the house. A young man was waiting by the porch. “Hi, I’m Ethan,” he said. “Chloe’s still out of town, so I’ll take a look myself.”

“Of course,” I said. “Let’s start inside.”

A young man was waiting by the porch

I walked him through the kitchen, the living room, the upstairs hallway.

He seemed genuinely interested, touching the walls, opening doors, asking questions about the neighborhood.

Everything was going smoothly, until a sudden scream echoed through the house.

He seemed genuinely interested

I ran toward it and found Ethan standing in one of the bedrooms, frozen, staring at the far corner.

“There’s… someone there,” he whispered.

I followed his gaze. For a second I saw what looked like the faint outline of a woman in white. Then it vanished.

“There’s… someone there”

Ethan stepped back, his face pale. “No way. I’m not buying this. I’m not dying in here.”

He bolted down the stairs before I could stop him. By the time I reached the porch, he was already in his car, speeding off.

I stood there for a moment, trying to make sense of it. Ghosts weren’t real.

“No way. I’m not buying this. I’m not dying in here”

I went back inside and examined the bedroom. I looked around carefully and noticed a faint line in the wall.

Pressing on it, I found a small hidden door, leading to a narrow closet. Empty.

As I turned to leave, something shiny on the floor caught my eye. I knelt down and picked it up, a single gold earring, modern and elegant.

Something shiny on the floor caught my eye

“Ghosts don’t wear jewelry,” I murmured.

I slipped it into my pocket and smiled faintly. Someone wanted me to fail.

They’d picked the wrong woman.

“Ghosts don’t wear jewelry”

When I walked into the office the next morning, everyone was already there. Jake looked up from his desk with a grin.

“So, how’d the haunted house tour go?” he asked. “Did Casper make an offer?”

Tina laughed. “Or did he run off screaming?”

“Did Casper make an offer?”

I didn’t answer. I just put my bag down and started working.

A few minutes later, while walking back from the restroom, I noticed a framed photo on Jake’s desk, him with a young woman.

I looked closer. The woman was wearing similar gold earrings as the one in my pocket.

I noticed a framed photo on Jake’s desk, him with a young woman

“Who’s that?” I asked, pointing at the photo.

Jake frowned. “My sister. Why?”

“No reason,” I said quickly and walked back to my desk.

“My sister”

A little later, I heard Jake talking on the phone, his voice sharp and low.

“We had a deal,” he hissed. “Just stick to the plan.”

By early afternoon, my phone rang again.

“Just stick to the plan”

“Hi, it’s Chloe,” the cheerful voice said. “About the house, we’ve talked it over and decided we’ll buy it if the price drops by half. Because of the ghost, you know.”

“Let’s discuss it in person. Can you meet me there today?”

“Of course,” she said quickly.

“About the house, we’ll buy it if the price drops by half. Because of the ghost, you know.”

When I arrived, Chloe and Ethan were already waiting near the porch. I recognized her instantly, the same woman from Jake’s photo.

His sister.

I already guessed what was going on, but I decided to play along.

His sister

“Nice to see you again,” I said. “Still brave enough to come back?”

Ethan smiled weakly. “We figured we could handle the ghosts if the deal’s good enough.”

I smiled. “You’re right. The house does have a story behind it. But maybe not the one you’re telling.”

“Still brave enough to come back?”

Chloe blinked. “What do you mean?”

I reached into my pocket and pulled out the earring. “You dropped this,” I said, handing it to her.

Her hand flew to her ear, one earring was missing.

“You dropped this”

“I found it near the bedroom closet,” I continued. “Right where your ghost disappeared.”

Ethan froze. “Wait, what?”

I turned to him. “She wasn’t the only one in on it. You both planned this, didn’t you? A nice little performance so you could get the price you wanted.”

Chloe’s face turned red. “You have no proof.”

“You have no proof”

“Oh, I have enough,” I said. “You’re Jake’s sister. He told you everything about that property, didn’t he? You used his inside information and staged a haunting.”

“You should be thanking me!” Chloe shouted. “Jake was the one who came up with the idea, he wanted us to play along with the rumors so the house would never sell. But we figured, why not use it to our advantage and buy it for half the price instead?”

“You should be thanking me!”

I smiled. “Here’s what’s going to happen. I can give you a small discount, and you buy the house legally or I go straight to the police and report both of you for fraud.”

The two of them looked at each other in silence, while I stood there smiling, perfectly calm.

“You buy the house legally or I go straight to the police and report both of you for fraud”

An hour later, I walked into the office and dropped the signed papers on Jake’s desk.

He stared at them, stunned. “You didn’t. You actually sold it?”

“Full price,” I said.

“You actually sold it?”

Patrick came over, scanning the papers. “Is this the Maple Street house? The one we’ve had for two years?”

“Yes,” I said.

Patrick smiled. “Well done, Maggie. Looks like we finally have someone who can make miracles happen. Expect a bonus in your next check.”

“Well done, Maggie”

As he walked away, the room went silent. Jake’s jaw clenched.

I looked at him and smiled. “So, Jake,” I said, “which sock would you like for lunch — left or right?”

Finally, I didn’t feel like someone’s ex-wife or someone’s mother. I was Maggie — the woman who sold the haunted house.

And I didn’t believe in ghosts

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If you enjoyed this story, read this one: When my fiancé and I moved into a cheaper apartment, we thought the worst we’d face would be noisy neighbors or our strict landlady. But as we peeled off the old wallpaper and uncovered a message written in red, we had no idea it would expose secrets far darker than we imagined. Read the full story here.

This story is a work of fiction inspired by real events. Names, characters, and details have been altered. Any resemblance is coincidental. The author and publisher disclaim accuracy, liability, and responsibility for interpretations or reliance. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.