Today I presented a Real Estate seminar at a First Hope Bank in Andover together with Courtney Dugan a mortgage rep for the bank and Wendy Gould a home stager.The bit of information that drew the most attention from me is something that I tell all my listings.MAKE THE AGENT USE THE LOCKBOX.
Quite often you will find the homeowner waiting by the front door to let you in as soon as you show then your business card. Now I know homeoners are anxious to get showings in today's market but letting anyone with a business card in your home is just plain dumb. About a year ago a female agent friend of mind received a call for feedback on a listing she had shown. Supposedly she had shown it twicw and left her card both times. Well it turns out this agent has never in her career even shown a home in that town. Someone had used her business cards to gain access to the home twice. This was a very upscale neighborhood and someone had probably cased her home.
Even after calling the police and filling out a report how safe do you think that homeowner felt? Any Realtor with any ambition at all leaves business cards anywhere that they can. I have no idea how many places I have left business cards, but you have to be a realtor to have a supra-key. Even if someone stole your key it will expire that night if they do not have a charger. And if they lost it hopefully they will have had it deactivated.
So please make the agent use the lockbox IT MAY JUST SAVE YOUR LIFE.
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