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MY BUYER WAS NOT IMPRESSED. NEITHER WAS I!

By Kent Anderson

Real Estate Agent with Coldwell Banker Resort Realty, Sandpoint, Idaho SP37235

December 20, 2009 04:07 PM

Realtors® struggle with the "professional" moniker. There are definitely Realtors® who deserve the label but it is tough to get the general public to play along. Here is an example of why that is the case:

I set up a 1:00 p.m. Sunday showing last Friday for my Buyers. I confirmed the showing on Saturday and my Buyers and I arranged our schedules accordingly. The showing was to be at a home located in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho - 45 miles from my house in Sandpoint. My Buyers were coming from Post Falls, Idaho about 12 miles away.

The Buyers were coming from a pre-scheduled soccer practice which had to be cut short affecting the other 14 players and their families (Mr. Buyer is the coach). I had scheduled a ski day with friends at Schweitzer Mountain which I had to cut short to make the appointment. (Forget the fact that Sunday was a fresh powder day and the first day this season that Schweitzer was able to open the entire mountain. In other words, Sunday was the BEST ski day of the year.) The fact is, this showing required some fairly thoughtful organizing and SACRIFICING to make sure all parties could "come to the plate".

I scrambled and made the 1 hour drive to the scheduled showing...as did my Buyers. The Listing agent was there waiting for us and we had a friendly conversation out in the street as we did the "meet-and-greet". From a cursory view, the home (which I had only seen on our MLS) appeared to be a close fit for my Buyers. We walked up to the front door and the Listing agent proceeded to open his lock box. In the box was the front door key...to the handle only. The dead KEY bolt required Key #2. There was no Key #2 in the box. The Listing agent, who, I assume, has a back-up set of keys somewhere (we are professionals, aren't we?) did not have a set of keys with him. As he fumbled around looking for a smooth way out of this morass, he came up with, "Geez, the tenants must have changed the locks!" Really?

Anyway, the showing came to an abrupt conclusion and we all had to go our merry way. As it turned out, my Buyers elected to "pass" on this particular house which, for sure, cost the Listing agent a potential sale and, for sure, didn't do anything for the Realtor® reputation in general.

STUFF HAPPENS...I get that, but this was Sunday...a day for soccer, an EPIC Schweitzer ski day (did I mention there was 14" of untracked powder in the North Bowl?), a day we all could have spent with family, a day a house could have sold. Oh well...

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Karen Crowson

Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage - Rancho Bernardo, CA

Your Agent for Change

This does happen too often on bank owned properties. A lot of the agents have never set foot in them - a third party takes care of the keys. Happened to me recently and the listing agent was fabulous when I called her. She apologized profusely, and had a locksmith there the same evening (on a Saturday night no less), so we could return the next day. Thankfully, I didn't have to drive as far as you did.

Dec 22, 2009 02:35 AM

Sandy McAlpine

RE/MAX EXECUTIVE - Cornelius, NC

Search Lake Norman Homes For Sale - Lake Norman NC

Unfortunately, stuff happens. I have had a key go missing before and the agent call me. It's almost impossible to have keys immediately ready in case that happens, however, the agent might have previewed the property before you and your clients driving all the way there. Sorry that happened!

Dec 22, 2009 02:41 AM

Kyle Jan

Scottsdale, AZ

Phoenix AZ Homes for Sale

Wouldn't the selling agent have been wise to go into the home in advance to llok around to make sure it was ready to show? If he/she had done this, they would have realized that they couldn't get in and could have started making calls for the keys and avoided the embarrassment at the door. I am not a Professional Realtor though, just a Professional in the mortgage industry.

Dec 22, 2009 02:58 AM

Lyn Sims and the Blog Dog

Streamwood, Elgin IL Real Estate - RE/MAX Suburban - Bartlett, IL

Welcome to the world of real estate!

Dec 22, 2009 03:50 AM

Gary Steuernagel ASSOC. BROKER, ABR, CRB

Keller Williams Southwest - Sugar Land, TX

I also don't understand why the listing agent didn't attempt to open the house before you arrived to help setup lighting and a little prep in order to make the best impression when you arrived. If he had, he would have discovered the problem and been able to call you so you could have contacted your clients and helped save both you and them their time and gas.

Dec 22, 2009 04:25 AM

Ty Lacroix

Envelope Real Estate Brokerage Inc - London, ON

Kent, it goes both ways and I can see your point, your client's and the listing agent. I bet it will unlikely ever happen to you again(because you will know to ask the right questions) and the selling agent if he is smart, will have a back up plan.

Now, if the tenants were skiing, and I couldn't, I'd be bummed!

Dec 22, 2009 04:32 AM

Bill Gillhespy

16 Sunview Blvd - Fort Myers Beach, FL

Fort Myers Beach Realtor, Fort Myers Beach Agent - Homes & Condos

Hi Kent, The amount of prep work and inconvenience are irrelevant. The showing was badly handled and only made worse by the distance involved, powder and frustration ! Hope your Holiday Season is the best ever !

Dec 22, 2009 04:48 AM

Beverly of Bev & Bob Meaux

Keller Williams Suburban Realty - West Orange, NJ

Where Buying & Selling Works

This is just another story of why some people think agents are useless. It's unfortunate, it can happen, but darn it, the circumstances just make it worse. Good luck on finding the right home for your buyer.

Dec 22, 2009 07:42 AM

Jason Burkholder

Weichert, Realtors - Welcome Home - Lancaster, PA

Associate Broker, Realtor, e-Pro, CMS

yeah, no easy way around that one, but I guess that's why I don't show homes that are 45 miles away. Fortunately, my market are is located where nothing is more than 10-15 mles away!

Dec 22, 2009 08:06 AM

Karen Fiddler, Broker/Owner

Karen Parsons-Fiddler, Broker 949-510-2395 - Mission Viejo, CA

Orange County & Lake Arrowhead, CA (949)510-2395

I always have an extra set, but if the tenants change the locks, not much I can do. Bummer....but he was on time and tried, so not sure you need to bash him.

Dec 22, 2009 08:39 AM

Kent Anderson

Coldwell Banker Resort Realty, Sandpoint, Idaho - Sandpoint, ID

from Schweitzer to the Lake

Hi Karen - With all due respect, I don't think the only duty of a LA is to be on time. I wanted to show the listing.

Dec 22, 2009 10:19 AM

Francis (Frank) Brunke

Prudential Gross & Jansen Highlands Realty - Vernon, NJ

I am a new agent, and one of my first house showings should have been so simple. It had just been listed... wow I was excited.

We use an electronic keypad on a fob. Enter your code and point it at the little red window on the lockbox. Lockbox receives the signal, and pop, opens the key holder.

Except, after entering the right code into my keypad on the fob, and aiming it at the little red window,,,,,, wait, there is no little red window ! WT *** (heck) !

Seems the owner had been given the lockbox to put on himself, the realtor being too busy. "Simply slide the hook over the doorknob shaft, and push up the housing until it locks." Which the owner did. No mention of "red window side out". GRRRRRR

Dec 22, 2009 11:48 AM

Vanessa Stalets

RE/MAX Elite - Brentwood, TN

REALTOR, Brentwood TN Homes, Real Estate

Talk about unprepared and unprofessional! Sheesh. I keep an extra set of all my listing keys on a keyring in my briefcase or car. Sorry for your frustration and your buyers too, definitely not the way to sell a home~

Dec 22, 2009 01:00 PM

Kent Anderson

Coldwell Banker Resort Realty, Sandpoint, Idaho - Sandpoint, ID

from Schweitzer to the Lake

So many of the comments deal with the use of our precious time. Given that premise, there is no way I can personally respond to all of these comments. I appreciate every one of you, however. Thank you for participating! HAPPY HOLIDAYS ONE AND ALL!

Dec 22, 2009 04:50 PM

Gene Riemenschneider

Home Point Real Estate - Brentwood, CA

Turning Houses into Homes

S happens. I find keys or even lock boxes missing all the time. I wrote a Post on what I call Door Kicking Offenses. This is one of them. I had an alarm go off one time. There was nothing about the alarm on the MLS.

Dec 23, 2009 04:06 AM

Kathy Opatka

RE/MAX CROSSROADS - Ocean City, MD

Serving Ocean City, MD, & The Delaware Beaches

Keys are always an issue here at the beach! Renters usually DON'T get the deadbolt key. There isn't a deadbolt key in the lockbox..... then the OWNER/SELLER visits the unit and locks the DEADBOLT as he leaves! I usually keep a deadbolt key in my office.

Dec 23, 2009 09:29 AM

Robert Vegas Bob Swetz

Las Vegas, NV

Wow, what a great post!

Dec 23, 2009 12:48 PM

Kent Anderson

Coldwell Banker Resort Realty, Sandpoint, Idaho - Sandpoint, ID

from Schweitzer to the Lake

Hey Robert - I'm thinking that part of the reason for the phenomenal response to this post is the timing. There must be a lot of realtors surfing AR during the Holiday season. (I'm actually swamped right now with a couple "protracted" PA's I've got going). MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Dec 23, 2009 03:23 PM

Dana Devine

Charles Rutenberg Realty - Apollo Beach, FL

i assume u tried all the doors and windows and could not get in,,,then i assume the LA called the tenants to find out when they would return so you could get in and the tenants did not answer...well if u did all this...u are still laughing all the way to the bank...the LA did not make a sale and u did with the buyer on another listing and you got paid...all is good

Dec 29, 2009 04:03 AM

Kent Anderson

Coldwell Banker Resort Realty, Sandpoint, Idaho - Sandpoint, ID

from Schweitzer to the Lake

That's right Dana, all is good. I did find another home for the clients. They're putting together their financing as we speak. Thanks for checking in.

Dec 29, 2009 03:42 PM