First-time homebuyer Cat Urso had a short list of requirements for her new home. She knew she wanted three bedrooms and a central location in Houston, but otherwise, Urso trusted that she’d know “the one” when she saw it. “With Cat, it was all about the energy,” says her real estate agent, Ryan Holliday. Sure enough, after about a month of searching, Urso knew she found what she’d been looking for as soon as she walked through the door. “We hadn’t toured the whole home yet — we hadn’t even been upstairs yet and she was saying, ‘This is it!’” Holliday recalls. But Urso would need more than just good vibes to make this house her own. Houston was in the midst of a hot seller’s market and competition between buyers was fierce. “There would be 10 people at the same time at other homes trying to buy the same house,” says Urso. “I was hearing about houses selling for $100,000 more than the asking price.” Fortunately for Urso, Holliday had arranged her viewing the day before the home was...