To say I was scared is an exaggeration.
To all sellers of tenant occupied properties, you should know I tried to show your house but your tenants made it impossible. The showing instructions were 24 hour advance notice, knock and show.
I’d shown seven houses near downtown Waynesville. One property had tenants who would be notified and leave the house unlocked. I called the agency to verify and was told there hadn't been a return call from the tenants but not to worry. Just knock first.
We pulled up at the appointed time, my clients waited in the car until I could speak with any tenants who might be there.
There was a car in the driveway so I knocked loudly several times. Finally, I opened the door and called inside. The young man standing right inside the door startled the daylights out of me. I explained who I was and why I was there. He claimed he was visiting his brother and would call him to make sure it was okay to let me in. I offered the Real Estate office number, he declined. He had his cell phone in his hand but couldn't find his brother's number!?!?. He just stood there.
Minutes later, a woman pulled up in her SUV blocking my car in. Feigning no knowledge of the appointment, she said she was calling the landlord to find out what was going on.
This environment was hostile, so we decided to forego seeing this house. I couldn't easily pull my car out because of the SUV. The tenants sat on the front porch staring. My client tried guiding me out of the carport so we wouldn't scrape the SUV. Finally, the woman moved her car. As I pulled out another young man was pulling up to the house. I proceeded to the next showing a few streets away. As we pulled into the next house I noticed the young man from the previous house had followed us! He got out of his car and demanded to know who I was. I offered the real estate company‘s number and told him they’d been leaving messages for the past 24 hours.
Who knows how this showing might have turned out, but the thrill was gone. It doesn't matter if these tenants had been getting the calls or not. They were sullen, uncooperative and unfriendly.
Western North Carolina is safe for real estate agents. I've never felt insecure while doing my job and it takes a lot to unnerve me. This young man tailing us to another showing felt uncomfortable. I've told the listing agency so they could inform their seller of the events.
If my clients would like to see the house on Monday, this will be the first time I’ll have ever asked a listing agent to meet me for a showing. I’ll also insist the tenants not be present.
I wasn't scared, but I’ll never approach another house comfortably with showing instructions of "Knock and Show".
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