The formula was never the problem. The user's conditional formatting rule was almost certainly applied to the wrong range, or the formula's relative references were set up in a way that didn't match the selected cells. When you write `=AND($E2=3, $F2=2)` and then highlight a block of cells that starts at a different row than the formula's anchor, the rule will quietly do nothing. That is not a spreadsheet glitch. That is a mismatch between what you asked for and where you asked for it.
Here is what likely happened: the user selected the entire data range, say A2 through G50, then entered the formula while the active cell was A2. The dollar signs on E and F lock the columns, but the row number is relative. That part is correct. The issue is that if the active cell was not the first row of the selection, the formula shifts. For example, if the active cell was A3, the rule now checks `$E3=3, $F3=2` for the first cell in the selection, which throws everything off by one row. The user sees houses that meet the criteria, but the rule is checking the wrong rows. The fix is simple: click the top-left cell of the range before entering the formula, or adjust the formula to match the active cell's row.
There is also a second possibility worth mentioning. The user said they "selected the cells that return this data." If they highlighted the entire row or a wide block that includes header rows, the rule might be applying to cells where the formula returns FALSE because the row references don't align with the data. Conditional formatting does not guess. It evaluates every cell in the selected range against the formula, and if the relative row reference is off, nothing highlights. The solution is to confirm the active cell is E2 or F2 when the rule is created, then ensure the range starts at that same row. For a clean result, apply the rule to the entire data range, but start the formula at the very first data row.
What does this mean for you? It means the moment a custom formula rule fails silently, your first instinct should be to check the active cell, not the formula's logic. The logic is often correct. The spreadsheet is just literal. Take a breath, click on E2, recreate the rule, and watch it work. The user's goal was straightforward, and the tool can deliver it. They just needed to align the starting point. That is the whole trick. And once you see it, you will never fear conditional formatting again.