Home : Blogs : Janice Lipka : Janice's Blog

ASLEEP ON THE JOB

A few weeks ago on a rainy & chilly Sunday afternoon, I went to see an OPEN HOUSE. A customer had asked me about it. This seemed like a good time to preview it.

I got to the Open about 2:00Pm. The only car in the driveway was the agents car. Normally, the agent would have been at the door, happy to see anyone! I did not see the agent until I got to the family room of the house. He was 'watching' a golf tournament. I said HI- no need to get up I am an agent and will just look around by myself.I thought it was strange that there was not a response. But then Tiger Woods was just about to tee off. I walked around the house and made as much noise as I could but still no response. I decided to check out this situation a little closer. Thankfully, the agent was sound asleep and not dead.

During the time I was there a "real" customer came in. She saw the sleeping agent and asked me if it was OK to look around. I told her that I was not a customer but an agent from another company and that I would stay in the house until she was finished. Sleeping agent slept through this also.

I left when the customer did. She asked for my card. I do not know if anything will come of it..but you never know!

When I got back to the office, I called the broker of the sleeping agent. She would have to deal with this issue. Hopefully, the owner didn't come home to see how her agent was working for them.

I know OPEN HOUSES can be boring. But if you snooze you lose!!!

Posted by Janice Lipka on 06/14/2007 08:58 AM

Comments (27)

27 Comments on ASLEEP ON THE JOB

JUN

2007

Janice- it must be a NY thing :) we've run into this twice. Not a great impression, and one of them was a home listed at 1.8 million, or something like that-

LMAO.....wow. I know they can be boring, but I always kept an eye on the front door for people coming in. They usually are boring and not many people if any show up, so if I sat down to watch TV, I always sat in a spot where I could keep an eye out and if I saw someone coming, I would turn the TV off and get up and greet them at the door.

He's lucky you weren't there to steal anything......he'd of been in a world of trouble!

HA HA HA HA!

Can you imagine how this agent would have felt if he woke up? What a dufus.

He just lost out on a possible client, if not a possible sale! I've never run into an agent asleep during the open house, and I've never fallen asleep myself. Just like Becky, I stay in a position so that I can see out a front window at all times!

Haha, that is a funny one.

Open houses can be very boring these days. I did one for 4 hours about a month ago and despite it being advertised and there being 3 other open houses around it, nobody came.

I always make sure to have something to do with my time though, ether I have a book to read and learn something real estate from, or like that day, I had 1000 letters that I had already folded which needed to be stuffed into the addressed envelopes, and the the envelopes sealed. Got the whole project done during the open house and was able to mail them the next morning without having to spend my time outside of the open house getting it done.

I have never walked into someone else's open house where the agent was asleep. I have gone into a FSBO open house where the home owner was no place to be found at all. I called out, many times, but was free to go though the house without anybody to stop anything that could have been done.

Jim

Janice, that would be hilarious if it weren't so sad!

I'm sure that agent feels like an idiot and probably was pretty tired to doze off - sorry their open house was so boring. If I was mean, I would have gotten my camera and snapped a photo, then emailed it to them. Talk about a "wake up call"!

I love Jeffs idea! Could you imagine the embarrasement of seeing yourself sleeping in an email and you never realized you were sleepimng or worse yet there were peeps watching you! OMG Too funny!

Good Morning Jeff, Great Idea!! I should always have a camera with me. I am just glad he wasn't dead!

should have taken a picture of it...especially if he was wearing a name badge

you could have added it to your listing presentation

Hi Vicki, A camera shot would have been a great idea. I've wished iI was sleeping at some open house. Sometimes. I've check the clocks to make sure they are working. I just would not sit down in front of a TV.

Hi Laurie, Two times???? I wonder what would happen if the owners came home?? Would they be "understanding"? I do not think so.

HI David, Everyone comments that I should have taken some pictures. They are right. I will keep a camera with me for the next time.

Janice- one was a vacant waterfront; the other had owners. Not to be sexist, but both were guys- and your comment about them possibly being dead made me laugh out loud- our thoughts exactly. Next time, we'll call the paramedics (except, I hate to waste their time)...

Hi Becky, I never sit on anything comfortable. Kitchen chairs work. It would be hard to fall asleep on one of them. I also try to be in a position to see cars pull up. I will even walk outside the house to ward off boredom.

Hi Kelly, I alsways wondered what happened when he woke up. Maybe, His broker showed up.

Hi Jim & Maria, Open houses can be boring most of the time. I even try to have someone sit with me. A new agent perhaps. I know then you won't be able to nap. You can do so training.

A camera shot would have been great. Or maybe a Sharpie mustache.

Hi James, Open houses are a great time to play catch up on the things we can't get done in the office. I never turn the TV on. I have brought a DVD player and watched a movie. However, this is when the customers show up. So it works to keep you from going stir crazy

HI Laurie, Paramedics or Broker, either way he wakes up!!

Hi Janice!

Thanks for sharing this info with us. Keep posting !

Nalliah Thayabharan

Commercial and Residential Building Inspector

Expert Building Inspections Ltd

HI Nalliah, This is the most interesting profession. We just can't make this stuff up! It keeps me awake!!!

Hey, sometimes you need to catch up on a little shut eye? Maybe he or she was up with a crying baby all night or has a sick relative they're attending to or some other trying circumstance. Maybe you can wake the agent up next time? It might not be what you think.

Dear Mother Lode Master, I am sorry that you think I should have tried to wake him up. I made enough noise to wake up the neighborhood. Family problems should not come to work with you. We all have some issues that make us tired, but you have a responsibility to your seller. And sleeping on the job is not one of them

I was just sleeping over here Janet. What a great way to kill the work day in between eating and sleeping at home. Soooo refreshing.

Thank god you didn't walk in on a dead guy like that post you did a while back about the Double Suicide.

Good to know this guy wasn't dead. Too bad his career probably is. = )

Jason

Hi Jason, You just never know what the day will bring. I know I have felt like I could take a nap at some of these Open, but you just do not give in. Just bring a venti black coffee with you. I never sit in a comfortable chair for that very reason, especially on a chilly and rainy day. I think I've just talked myself into going home to take a nap.