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Showing Instructions Exist For A Reason

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Real Estate Agent with Amanda Davidson Real Estate Group Brokered By Real 0225221517

Showing Instructions Exist For A Reason

No TrespassingOne of my sellers called on Sunday to let me know that she had declined a showing. The agent called from out front and said they had toured a house down the street and her buyers noticed the sign on their house. She knew it was last minute but, thought it was worth a shot to see if she could show the house. My sellers explained that they would need about an hour to get the kids and dogs out of the house. She said she heard the agent ask her clients and they said no they didn’t want to wait. She let me know the agent couldn’t have been more polite about it and said she’d call another time to arrange a showing.

A couple hours later my clients saw the same two people wandering around their backyard. Apparently the agent’s clients decided they would just help themselves to the yard and walk around. This house has a fully fenced backyard and the only way in is to unlock a gate. The husband went outside and asked them where their agent was. Their response – we finished touring with her and since she wouldn’t show us this house we came back on our own. My client happens to be a police officer and explained to these buyers that their agent did nothing wrong and they are now trespassing. He also let them know they’re really lucky his police dog wasn’t out in the yard and asked them to leave immediately. They shot back with a smart remark that he must not really want to sell and then drove off.

 

Just because a house is for sale doesn’t mean it’s an open door policy to be on the property. Why on earth these buyers think they were entitled to do so is beyond me. Appointments are required for a reason and in this case had the dog been out something horrible could have happened. It wasn’t the agents fault at all, I did call her to let her know what happened and she was horrified they would do that. Showing instructions are in place for both the sellers and buyers and if a showing is declined that doesn’t give a buyer the right to just go to the property on their own. 

Posted by

 

Amanda Davidson Real Estate Group

 

 

      

 

AMANDA DAVIDSON  
l ASSOCIATE BROKER l  
l AMANDA DAVIDSON REAL ESTATE GROUP BROKERED BY Real

C  703.431.3755   |   O  855.450.0442  |   W  www.amandadavidson.com

A  1765 Greensboro Station Place Suite 900 McLean, Va 22102




Chad Felter
Virginia Beach, VA
Providing service through out Virginia.

Crazy story! Thanks for posting. I guess the prospective buyers don't have any sense of right and wrong, what idiots.

Sep 29, 2014 11:00 PM
Tom White
Franklin Homes Realty LLC (615) 495-0752 or www.FranklinHomesRealty.com - Franklin, TN
Franklin Homes Realty LLC, Franklin TN

Amanda, this is an upsetting story! I can see as an agent, making a call to see a home "on the fly". But if my clients take it on themselves to start wandering around a property on their own--they are way out of line.

Sep 29, 2014 11:13 PM
Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
Pasadena And Southern California 818.516.4393

Hi Amanda -- some people test the limits.  It doesn't appear these buyers quite understand the concept of following rules and procedure let alone common courtesy.   

Sep 30, 2014 12:47 AM
John McCormack, CRS
Albuquerque Homes Realty - Albuquerque, NM
Honesty, Integrity, Results, Experienced. HIRE Me!

Good morning Amanda.  Spot on post.  We have a listing that has very specific showing instructions.  It seems so many don't bother to read the MLS directions and it's caused trouble for our seller who has major health issues. 

Sep 30, 2014 01:08 AM
Joan Cox
House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 - Denver, CO
Denver Real Estate - Selling One Home at a Time

Amanda, those buyers were very lucky the dog wasn't out!    Just because there is a sign in the ground does not give the buyer the right to trespass.  Great post!  

Sep 30, 2014 01:32 AM
Potranco Realty
Potranco Realty - San Antonio, TX
"Sold with Potranco Realty"

OMG, some people just have all the B^%$ in the world....right? they're lucky they didn't get dog attacked or shot by the officer. Thanks for sharing..

Sep 30, 2014 02:08 AM
Beth Atalay
Cam Realty and Property Management - Clermont, FL
Cam Realty of Clermont FL

Amanda, you don't have to be a genius to know you can't just show up at homes unannounced. For Sale sign doesn't give them permission to do so.  Great post!

Sep 30, 2014 06:37 AM
Anita Clark
Coldwell Banker Access Realty ~ 478.960.8055 - Warner Robins, GA
Realtor - Homes for Sale in Warner Robins GA

Amanda: Rules and/or instructions are in place for a reason. Why some think they can do whatever they please is beyond me.

Sep 30, 2014 07:21 AM
Wayne Johnson
Coldwell Banker D'Ann Harper REALTORS® - San Antonio, TX
San Antonio REALTOR, San Antonio Homes For Sale

Amanda S. Davidson The second situation could have gotten ugly real quick. Funny how some do the wrong thing then have an attitude when corrected.

Sep 30, 2014 11:35 AM
Rebecca Gaujot, Realtor®
Lewisburg, WV
Lewisburg WV, the go to agent for all real estate

Amanda, I hope this gets featured so all those potential buyers will read and HEED!

Sep 30, 2014 02:20 PM
Gabe Sanders
Real Estate of Florida specializing in Martin County Residential Homes, Condos and Land Sales - Stuart, FL
Stuart Florida Real Estate

Wow!  How incredibly rude of these people.  They didn't want to take the time to wait for the showing, yet had the time to break into the backyard anyway!

Sep 30, 2014 09:16 PM
Amanda S. Davidson
Amanda Davidson Real Estate Group Brokered By Real - Alexandria, VA
Alexandria Virginia Homes For Sale

Raymond, very lucky! Could have ended so differently.

Larry and Sheila, I thought the same thing.

Sheila, sadly that is so true and I don't understand it. No common courtesy.

Jared, ridiculous is the perfect word.

Chad, no sense of it or just don't care - I'm not sure which.

Tom, I agree - way out of line is exactly how I saw it.

Michael, they sure don't!

John, that makes me sad to read. It's so easy to look at the MLS instructions. Should be one of the first things an agent does when going to set appointments.

Joan, they really are - could have had a very different ending.

Bob, they sure do! Makes me cringe.

Beth, I couldn't agree more.

Anita, it's beyond me too. Wrong on so many levels.

Wayne, the attiude made it even worse. As if they're too good to be corrected.

Rebecca, I would hope the majority of buyers would never do this although I hear cases like this more and more.

Gabe, I thought the same thing! It was hours later too so they could have gotten a showing. Unreal!

Sep 30, 2014 11:13 PM
Sharon Paxson
Sharon Paxson, Realtor® EQTY Forbes Global Properties - Newport Beach, CA
Newport Beach Real Estate

That is unbelievable, but I do know that people will walk a property. If I am with clients, I won't let them go in the back until the other agent has arrived or we have permission.

Oct 01, 2014 02:38 AM
Toni Weidman
Sailwinds Realty - Trinity, FL
20+ Years Selling Homes in New Port Richey, FL

Amanda, some people do seem to think they have the right to access the home when it's for sale.  I have had similar experiences.  Once called the sheriff and had them thrown off.  

Oct 01, 2014 05:02 AM
Amanda S. Davidson
Amanda Davidson Real Estate Group Brokered By Real - Alexandria, VA
Alexandria Virginia Homes For Sale

Sharon, that's how it should be and I know you're a true professional who plays by the rules. 

Toni, they sure do. I can't say I blame them for calling the sheriff. It's completely breaking the law. 

Oct 01, 2014 05:31 AM
Patricia Feager, MBA, CRS, GRI,MRP
DFW FINE PROPERTIES - Flower Mound, TX
Selling Homes Changing Lives

I'm afraid that if the dog was out and bit them, they dog would be impounded. And I'm also afraid that if they got hurt on the property, like a trip and fall, the owners would have been liable for that too. There are too many, "what if..." to take such a stupid risk and the consequences could be horrible for all!

 

Oct 01, 2014 10:26 AM
Amanda S. Davidson
Amanda Davidson Real Estate Group Brokered By Real - Alexandria, VA
Alexandria Virginia Homes For Sale

Patricia, I thought about that too and it wouldn't have been the dogs fault at all. Same if the people fell. It was a selfish and rude thing to do.

Oct 01, 2014 10:45 PM
Debbie Reynolds, C21 Platinum Properties
Platinum Properties- (931)771-9070 - Clarksville, TN
The Dedicated Clarksville TN Realtor-(931)320-6730

Some people are so bold and do not show any common courtesy. I wonder if the agent told them to go take a look around.

Oct 02, 2014 12:04 PM
Amanda S. Davidson
Amanda Davidson Real Estate Group Brokered By Real - Alexandria, VA
Alexandria Virginia Homes For Sale

Debbie, I wondered the same but, I don't think she did. She seemed appalled.

Oct 02, 2014 09:39 PM
Joan Cox
House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 - Denver, CO
Denver Real Estate - Selling One Home at a Time

Amanda, sometimes the sellers get a bit crazy with some of their instructions, quite lengthy.   

Oct 05, 2014 12:11 AM