Call First, Lockbox: What Does this Mean for a Sacramento Listing?

My sellers know that I track activity, all the comings and goings at their home. That's one of the reasons to use a lockbox. The little infrared gizmo beams all agent access info directly to a website for me. As a Sacramento short sale agent, I follow up on my listings. I email agents who show and ask if they have questions. It gives me an excellent way to obtain buyer feedback for my sellers as well.

When a seller of a new short sale listing emailed to say he had an evening showing yesterday, I looked up the agent information in MLS so I could contact her. She didn't use the lockbox, and she didn't have a business card. I warn sellers to not let people into their homes who do not produce a business card. All agents, when they are working, should carry business cards.

You'd be astonished at what people say when I throw out this scenario: Say, a For Sale sign goes into the yard and a nice looking couple knocks at your door. They say they spotted the For Sale sign and want to know if your home is for sale. What do you do? Nine out of 10 people say they would let these people in and show them around. No, no, no, you do NOT let strangers into your home. An agent would show you a business card. No card, no entry. Besides, most showings require an appointment or at the very least a phone call.

But this guy felt OK about it because the agent called him beforehand to let him know when she was coming over. The listing was put into MLS as: Call First, Lockbox. Some agents think that means call the listing agent. Other agents think it means call the seller and make an appointment. It really means call the seller, tell the seller when the agent will show the home and . . . GO. This way, a seller needs only to return the call if the time is inconvenient to show. This is standard showing practice in Sacramento.

If we wanted agents to make an appointment, we would have entered the listing into MLS as Appointment with Seller. If we wanted agents to call the listing agent, we would have entered the listing into MLS as Call Listing Agent. This is an important item for buyer's agents to know, especially in this sizzling hot Sacramento market. Buyers are practically breaking down doors to get in. They are lined up for showings.

The home that my seller showed to the agent without a business card? It went into escrow yesterday. This happened when other agents were calling and leaving a message, asking the seller to call them back. They didn't get a call back from the seller. They didn't get a call back because it was listed: Call First, Lockbox. The seller was too busy accommodating agents who showed up after leaving a message to bother calling back those who did not understand MLS directions.

Buyers, if you wanted to buy a home in Carmichael yesterday but couldn't get in to see it, perhaps this is why.