I'm currently going through this exact same situation as a newer real estate agent (licensed for about 8 months) and this thread has been incredibly helpful! It's disappointing to confirm that we don't qualify for unemployment benefits as independent contractors, but I appreciate everyone sharing their experiences and alternative strategies. I'm definitely going to look into transaction coordination work and reaching out to my sphere of influence more systematically. For other agents reading this - I've also found that some brokerages offer small stipends or desk fees waivers during slow periods, so it might be worth talking to your broker about temporary assistance options. The market will turn around eventually, but in the meantime it's good to know there are creative ways to bring in some income while staying in the real estate space. Thanks to everyone who shared their stories - it really helps to know we're not alone in this struggle!

I'm also a real estate agent dealing with this exact situation right now. It's so frustrating to be in this limbo where you're essentially unemployed but can't access unemployment benefits because of the independent contractor classification. I've been reading through all the suggestions here and they're really helpful - especially the ideas about transaction coordination and VA work for other agents. One thing I want to add is that I've started looking into getting my property management license as well, since that could provide more steady income opportunities. The property management companies in my area seem to always be hiring, and the skills translate well from real estate sales. Has anyone else explored this route? Also, for what it's worth, I did try calling NYS Department of Labor multiple times but could never get through to actually speak with someone - the phone system is incredibly frustrating. Thanks to everyone sharing their experiences and suggestions - it really helps to know other agents have made it through similar tough periods.

just respond honestly to whatever NYS Department of Labor sends you and you'll be fine. most employers overthink this stuff

One thing to keep in mind is timing - make sure you respond quickly to any notices from NYS Department of Labor. They usually give you about 10 days to respond with your side of the story. If you miss that deadline, they might approve the claim by default even if you had good reasons for the termination. Also document the dates of the attendance issues and any progressive discipline you used - that shows you gave them a fair chance to improve before firing them.

I'm on day 5 of waiting for my SEAP decision and was already starting to panic that something went wrong with my application! Finding this thread has been such a relief - I had no idea that waiting 2-3 weeks was completely normal. Reading through everyone's experiences here is incredibly reassuring. The fact that so many people got approved after 18-25 days gives me hope that the silence doesn't mean bad news, just that they're backed up and processing applications in batches. Like everyone else here, I submitted my business plan feeling pretty confident but now I'm second-guessing every single detail 😅 "Did I include enough competitor analysis?" "Are my revenue projections too optimistic?" It's amazing how we all seem to go through this exact same anxiety spiral! @Anastasia at 12 days you're still totally within the normal range based on everyone's timelines here. This thread is proof that we're definitely not alone in this stressful waiting game. Thanks to everyone for sharing their stories - this community support is making the process so much more bearable! Fingers crossed for all of us still waiting! 🤞

Just applied for SEAP yesterday and already finding myself refreshing my email every few hours! 😅 This thread is exactly what I needed to find - I was starting to worry that no response after 24 hours meant something was wrong. Reading everyone's experiences here is so reassuring, especially seeing how consistent the 18-25 day approval timeline is across different months. It's wild how we all seem to go through the exact same emotional journey - submit feeling confident about our business plan, then immediately start questioning every single detail. I keep thinking "did I explain my market opportunity clearly enough?" "are my startup costs too detailed or not detailed enough?" @Anastasia you're at 12 days which sounds totally normal based on everyone's stories here! The fact that so many people got approved after 2-3+ weeks of silence is really encouraging. Sounds like NY DOL is just swamped and processing these in big batches rather than individually. Thanks to everyone who shared their timelines - this community support is already making me feel so much better about the waiting game ahead! 🤞

I'm currently dealing with my own forfeit days situation right now - just got the determination letter last week for 21 forfeit days due to some income reporting discrepancy from 2024. This entire thread has been absolutely invaluable because I was genuinely considering just stopping my weekly certifications since seeing $0 every week felt so demoralizing and pointless. Reading through everyone's experiences though has made it crystal clear that I need to stick with it no matter what. The countdown calendar idea that so many people have mentioned is brilliant - I'm setting that up today so I can track my progress through what's going to be about 4+ weeks of no payments. It's honestly shocking how the official NY unemployment website provides basically zero useful guidance about forfeit day procedures, but this community has given me all the real-world knowledge I actually need. I'm definitely following all the advice shared here: keep certifying religiously every week, document everything with screenshots, maintain work search requirements throughout the penalty period, and most importantly remember that this is temporary punishment rather than permanent loss of benefits. To everyone else currently serving forfeit days - it's so reassuring to know we're all navigating this bureaucratic mess together and that there really IS an end to this if we just push through these next few weeks!

I'm currently on day 8 of my own 23 forfeit days and this thread has been absolutely essential for my sanity! I was seriously considering giving up on the weekly certifications after getting $0 for over a week, but reading everyone's experiences here has convinced me to stick it out no matter how pointless it feels. The countdown calendar approach that so many people have mentioned is a game-changer - I set mine up yesterday and just seeing that I have 15 days left makes this whole ordeal feel actually manageable instead of endless. What really helps is knowing that literally everyone who followed the process correctly eventually got their payments resumed once the forfeit period ended. I'm being super diligent about documenting everything with screenshots and keeping up with work search requirements based on all the advice here. It's honestly ridiculous that the NY unemployment system leaves us completely in the dark about forfeit day procedures, but thankfully this community has provided all the real information we desperately need. To everyone else currently serving forfeit days - we're definitely all in this together and there IS a definite end to this nightmare if we just keep pushing through these next few weeks! The support and shared experiences here are making this so much less isolating and overwhelming.

ugh the whole base period thing is such BS... like why cant they just use your last 12 months of work like a normal person would expect

I went through this exact same situation! The key thing to remember is that your base period is always one quarter behind because of processing delays. So even though you worked July-August 2024, those wages won't show up until your next benefit year if you need to reapply. It's frustrating but the system is designed this way to ensure all employer wage reports are complete. Make sure to keep all your pay stubs from that restaurant job - sometimes there can be discrepancies between what you earned and what employers reported to NYS Department of Labor.