From Real Burgers to Real Estate: The Value of Secondhand Lessons

A Drive-Thru Lesson for the Real Estate Industry

By Summer Goralik

[This article was also published on my Substack here]

It’s that time of year again when the word “resolution” is sprinkled into conversations like confetti. Everyone seems to buy in, stoked on renewing, resetting, or flat-out changing.

Even if you’re not personally in that headspace, someone around you surely is, belting out the words, “This year, I’m going to…”

Yes, I have a few resolutions on my 2026 plate that I will be working on, because after all I am human and this is what we do. However, for this piece, bear with me as I point my arrow over the horizon of the real estate industry. Just for a few moments.

To start, I looked up the definition of “resolution” because I felt compelled to be exact. Google results, attributed to Oxford Languages, provided the following:

Resolution, a noun, meaning:

1. a firm decision to do or not to do something

2. the quality of being determined or resolute

   
   

I think most would agree that being resolute is a significant part of the infamous task of New Year’s resolutions. To say the promise out loud is one thing. To execute it is quite another.

So, if you are in the mood to be resolute and to cast resolutions you intend to follow through with, here’s a note I want to post on the whiteboard in the halls of the industry. This one is specifically for real estate agents and brokers.

Lately, and definitely over the last year, it feels nearly impossible to write anything remotely positive about real estate agents, Zillow, or recent practice changes without being met with some level of vocal hostility. Or is this just me?

If I post on LinkedIn or write a sweet nothing about the good things agents do, the disapproval starts to rise and make its way to the surface. Negative chimes and aggressive claims, suggesting that licensees are inherently “up to no good,” or that the entire profession needs a revamp.

Listen, I don’t agree. In fact, I can’t agree. And I say that as someone who has likely seen far worse than what gets lobbed at me from the outside.

Having witnessed some pretty bad versions of licensee misconduct, I am nonetheless able to say this clearly: the real estate profession is valuable.

If you spend enough time reading LinkedIn or various internet blogs, you quickly realize just how thankless the job can be. The expectations are high, the pressure for perfect accountability from the outside is often loud, and the grace extended in exchange is sometimes minimal.

So, given the colorful peanut gallery out there, here’s my industry pitch for 2026:

Look past the unhealthy and unforgiving badgering. But continually self-evaluate, acknowledge missteps, and make needed changes. Know the “why” behind what you do. Aim high and do the work that makes you better every day.

Get obsessed with compliance. It’s one obsession that could actually pay off.

The best way to quiet the naysayers is by investing in your education and professionalism so you can deliver high-quality results and exceptional service. That said, there will always be bad apples out there. Don’t let them speak for you or paint your picture.

Now that I’ve laid that down and am feeling much better, let me take you somewhere unexpected.

Drive-Thru Lesson: A Look at McDonald’s

Do you remember the McDonald’s “pink slime” situation, as it was commonly referred to at the time, from the early 2010s?

I do. I remember exactly where I was. I was an adult who had previously consumed countless Happy Meals as a kid. Eventually, I graduated to the Big Mac, which I thought was a very tasty burger.

So when I later learned that the Golden Arches had been using ammonium-hydroxide-treated beef trimmings, officially known as LFTB, in their burgers, it was a mighty lot to reconcile. As a matter of personal record, 2012 also happens to be the last time I ate a Big Mac. But clearly, I was not the market.

If you’re not familiar with this incident, I apologize in advance for crushing your fast-food habits or dreams. It was a hard pill to swallow at the time. Or burger, rather. Literally.

McDonald’s ultimately announced it would stop using the product voluntarily in 2012. Funny enough, I don’t remember the story that way. I thought it had been prompted by a government audit or a lawsuit, something particularly negative. That may be because I was an Investigator for the DRE at the time and far more familiar with how these things usually go. But no.

In researching this historical fast-food moment, it turns out there had been growing public debate about treated and processed meat. It had been subject to stricter treatment under UK/EU food regulations, and voices like celebrity chef Jamie Oliver had publicly denounced its use in the United States.

Here’s the part of the story I find fascinating. Despite the controversy, McDonald’s remains the number-one fast-food burger chain in the United States today. It continues to lead the industry in systemwide sales based on 2024–2025 data, according to research I pulled just yesterday from ChatGPT.

Wild, right?

Now, this piece could focus entirely on the fact that McDonald’s chose to do better voluntarily, which is both obvious and commendable. But I want to grab you, agents and brokers, by the shoulders and say something else.

McDonald’s is still number one. Even after the pink-slime moment. Consumers came back.

If consumers are willing to continue buying burgers from a company after learning that what they were served wasn’t quite what they thought, then surely there is room for any profession to change, improve, recalibrate, and do better going forward. Who’s with me?

If that doesn’t land neatly in your gut, try this one instead.

Public criticism plays an important role in raising standards and protecting consumers, but it doesn’t erase value. It raises scrutiny and expectations, sometimes even without warrant. That can be challenging. But it doesn’t tear down roles that matter.

So let me say it plainly. Real estate agents and brokers perform an essential service.

Even with heightened oversight and landmark class-action litigation, the phones still ring. Agents still show homes. They still negotiate deals. And they still help people buy and sell not just property, but dreams, stability, and futures.

And yet, there is room to do better. Always. That’s something worth investing in.

Why Secondhand Lessons Matter

In my world of rules, advising clients on regulatory compliance, risk, and best practices, the goal is simple. Get it right the first time, if you can. Learning lessons is part of the profession, but the smartest and most prudent professionals learn as many of those lessons secondhand as possible.

I’ve said it before and I’ll keep saying it: compliance-minded professionals tend to have the most longevity in this business. Non-compliance can tear down success pretty quickly.

For years, I’ve encouraged agents and brokers to read enforcement actions. Not to scare them, but for the raw, real-life, unfiltered, and effectively free education they provide. Some of the best lessons are found in other people’s mistakes.

That brings me to another turn in this piece. I’ve decided to take a plunge this year. Not a polar plunge. I can only handle weather that stays above 70 degrees. This one is a podcast plunge.

With my co-host, Troy Palmquist, a widely known real estate broker and Inman contributor, we’re launching True Crimes of Real Estate. The project explores real enforcement actions and real consequences. We have no interest in shaming or sensationalizing licensees’ downfalls, so names aren’t the focus. The goal is to give licensees something invaluable: the chance to learn the lesson secondhand, without ever becoming the headline.

The first episode is set to air in January and will be available on your favorite podcast platforms, as well as in video form (which apparently means I have to dress up for these).

And yes, you could say this podcast is one of my New Year’s resolutions.

The Resolute in Resolution

To close out this amalgam of a piece, agents and brokers, don’t worry too much about the harsh critics. If that’s easier said than done, then staying off LinkedIn is certainly an option.

I’ll keep posting and publishing my opinions. Sometimes they highlight and scold the bad apples. Other times, they remind the many good ones that they serve an important purpose.

Both can be true and coexist, in the spirit of compliance and consumer protection.

Hold your head high. And also, make me proud, as many of you already have.

And if your resolution list is missing a bullet point or two, and you’re in the market for some more, add these and execute them without hesitation: compliance and professionalism.

Thankfully, these goals speak far louder than any critics ever could.

Happy New Year! And if you’re making resolutions, remember to be resolute—it’s at the root of lasting success.

Author’s note: The opinions and recommendations expressed in this article are based on Summer Goralik’s experience as a real estate compliance consultant and former investigator for the California Department of Real Estate. They are provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. Readers should consult with their brokerage and/or qualified legal counsel in their jurisdiction for guidance on specific situations.

About Summer

Summer Goralik is a Real Estate Compliance Consultant and licensed Real Estate Broker (#02022805). Summer offers real estate brokers a variety of consulting services including assistance with California Department of Real Estate investigations and audit preparation, mock audits, brokerage compliance guidance, advertising review, and training. She helps licensees evaluate their regulatory compliance and correct any non-compliant activities. Summer has an extensive background in real estate which includes private sector, regulatory and law enforcement experience. Prior to opening her consulting business in 2016, she worked for the Orange County District Attorney's Office as a Civilian Economic Crimes Investigator in their Real Estate Fraud Unit. Before that, Summer was employed as a Special Investigator for the DRE for six years. Among many achievements, she wrote several articles for the DRE, which still live on the Department's website today. Prior to her career in government and law enforcement, Summer also worked in the escrow industry for nearly five years. For more information about Summer's background and services, please visit her website.