Have You Locked the Buyers Out?

Amen Jennifer, I have had this happen to me and it is embarrassing when you are standing there with a buyer and can't open the door. Ho wlong does it take to test the key?

Jack

I remember a time when I opened the lockbox, shook the key out, and it missed my hand and went into a crack in the concrete between the sidewalk and the house.  I have crawled under a deck before to get a key, but that one was a goner!  I had to call hte agent and run to their office (luckily it was nearby) pick up another key and go back to show it.  That is one reason that today I always make three copies of the key.  One for the lockbox, one in the office and a spare in my file.  You never know when someone will lose one or the lockbox will jam.  It is not a bad idea to spray the lock with some WD-40 while you are getting the lockbox put on either.

Another suggestion while talking about being locked out....never go out on the deck or into the garage with your clients.  Stand in the doorway and hold it open.  I have known a couple of people who got locked in the garage and out on the deck!  That is one of the first things I let rookie agents know about.

Jennifer - I have never had that problem yet, however I have had the problem of the deadbolt not locking when I was locking up to leave

I'm showing several properties on friday and one property in particular they said has like 3 keys.  Now I hope this doesn't happen to me because that  is embarrassing and a waste of time.

I just finished showing the property to the buyers and when I locked the front door, the key won't come out.  Try as I might the key won't budge--it took the buyer and me alternating for 15 minutes to extricate the key out.  I think I'll take Richard's suggestion regarding the lubricant, but having WD-40 handy is good, too.

I have a can of WD-40 in the trunk of my car.  I can't count the number of times, I've had to spray a little on a key in order to open a front door.  Someone told me to spray it on the key instead of spraying it into the lock.  I spray a dab on the key and wipe the excess off with a paper towel also kept in the trunk of my car.  :)  Sometimes though, I can't get the door lined up right when I'm trying to lock up after viewing a home -- had to get my client to help me with one just this week.  That wasn't a favorable lasting impression on him -- who would want to buy a house you can lock when leaving.

Had this happen many times.  A new lock is not that expensive.  Love the comment about holding the door open once inside and not get yourself locked out.  Had a seller a couple years ago that had already moved out of state.  They were here for the weekend to pick up final things, went out onto the nosebleed deck with no access to the ground, door locked behind them.  Luckily they had their cell phone and called me to come and let them in their own house.  They were a bit red faced.