There is absolutely no substitute for reading and understanding documents before you sign them. It seems basic, but in our busy world of deadlines and information overload, it's easy to assume you know what a document says especially if you have past familiarity with the process.
In real estate as with anything else, once you sign it's often difficult if not impossible to un-do what you've agreed to -- even if you agreed to it by mistake -- without the agreement of the other party involved. This applies to all documents whether you are a buyer, seller, landlord, or tenant and whether the document comes from me, your lender, your title company, your property management company, or anyone else. If there are provisions that don't make sense, please ask someone to explain them to you before you sign. If you don't like the provision, explore whether it can be modified or deleted. If there's a provision you want to add, explore how that might done, including consulting a real estate attorney as might be applicable. In the long run, you'll save yourself the headache and heartache by reading everything before you sign it. Make the time!