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Business Cards must be 'Signed' by the agent at showings???????

By
Real Estate Agent with Dan Edward Phillips

The Humboldt County, California Association of Realtors has a 'rule' that agents will leave a business card at all showings with the date and time of the showing and the card must be' signed' by the agent. 

It would seem to me that leaving your legal signature laying around in vacant homes may not be the "brightest" idea!

Most of the business cards of the board members do not have adequate room for a signature on them.  They are now printed both 'back and front'.

If the homeowners are present at a showing I always introduce my self and provide them a business card.  However, I do not put the date and time on the card and I do not sign it.

When I show a vacant home I leave the date and time as we are still using 'SentriLock' lock boxes.  But I refuse to sign the card.    

As most Association of Realtors are using modern lock box technology (Supra) that provides complete showing information, the date and time on a business card in most cases is no longer necessary.  In the event of a legal issue, the lock box access records will take precedence in a court of law, not a time and date scribbled on the back of a business card.

Comments (29)

C. Lloyd McKenzie
Living Albuquerque - Albuquerque, NM
Living Albuquerque

Good Evening Dan:

It appears that the folks  at The Humboldt County, California Association of Realtors, have taken a step backward in this direction.  What's the use of having SUPRA and all that technology if one will be requirred to sign a business card?  The lockboxes and  ekeys or display keys provide a time stamp and each Realtor's Identifier to the listing Agent...leaving a card with a signature gets a big FAIL! 

Aug 29, 2011 03:32 PM
Dave Halpern
Dave Halpern Real Estate Agent, Inc., Louisville, KY (502) 664-7827 - Louisville, KY
Louisville Short Sale Expert

Someone on some committee has too much time on their hands.

Aug 29, 2011 03:54 PM
Ted J. Macy
Top Agents Atlanta Metro - Milton, GA

Just another reason that after 25 years I am not renewing my Realtor membership this year, the association just does not make sense to me any more.

Aug 29, 2011 04:29 PM
Gita Bantwal
RE/MAX Centre Realtors - Warwick, PA
REALTOR,ABR,CRS,SRES,GRI - Bucks County & Philadel

I agree that it is not a good idea to leave your card with a signature. However there are homes with combo lockboxes and agents who give out codes on vacant homes. I am not sure how that can be handled. I like the idea of the agent's photo on all cards so that they would be scared to hand them out to people to pose as agents. The other thing would be to have iboxes on all listings but there are agents who do not have these.

Aug 29, 2011 11:51 PM
Robert Bob Gilbert
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Anderson Properties - Katy, TX
Your Katy TX ( West of Houston) Real Estate Expert

Dan,

Signed business cards being left at a home is asking for ID theft. We use a Supra key that is controlled by satellite. This system records everything. The key aslo has its own password so even if another party finds it they can not use the key to gain entry. You folks need to get rid of the business card idea.

Thank you for re-blogging some of my posts as it is always appreciated. Have a great day my friend..

Aug 30, 2011 04:55 AM
Yolanda Cordova-Gilbert
Richmond, TX

Dan,

             I agree with all the comments so far. I would not leave my signature laying around for anyone to find. Some rules do not make sense or as someone mentioned too much time on their hands!

Aug 30, 2011 05:07 AM
Anonymous
Dee Toohey

This is silly!  Supra Key is great, it provides customers with reports and you know who was in the property and when and is perfectly safe.  That is sufficient! 

Aug 30, 2011 10:37 AM
#15
Linda Lorenzo
Coldwell Banker Apex - McKinney, TX
GRI, North Dallas/Ft Worth

I used to work in Humboldt County as a Realtor (before they had Supra) and it wasn't a signed business card but initials only & the date.  I do think it is a good idea to leave a card so the sellers know you were there, we don't generally leave them here in Texas.

Aug 30, 2011 10:38 AM
Wanda Kubat-Nerdin - Wanda Can!
Red Rock Real Estate (435) 632-9374 - St. George, UT
St. George Utah Area Residential Sales Agent

Oh my Dan! I stopped leaving my card at showings when I got a call late at night from a drunken man wanting to know why the house hadn't sold. He wasn't the owner, just a boyfriend of the owner! I hope change that.

Aug 30, 2011 10:44 AM
Dr. Stacey-Ann Baugh
Century 21 New Millennium - Upper Marlboro, MD
A doctor who makes house calls.

This does seem like overkill.  I think a business card is fine but signing it seems a bit much.

Aug 30, 2011 10:44 AM
Glenda Cherry
Keller Williams Realty - Herndon, VA
Realtor / Photographer

I couldn't sign my business card even if I wanted to ... they're printed on heavy, glossy card stock and almost impossible to write on.  Unless I carry a Sharpie with me :-)

Aug 30, 2011 10:48 AM
Louis Carfino
Keller Williams Realty- 352-238-8383 Lcarfinojr@aol.com - Spring Hill, FL
Good customer service is a priority !

I think leaving a card is a good idea, but the idea of leaving a card with all your contact info AND a singature is too much.

Aug 30, 2011 10:57 AM
Anonymous
Francesca

I don't even leave a card with my photograph on  it no less a signature!  This is going a little too far.  Many crazies our there and our industry needs to be always safety conscience.  This signature thing is NOT!

 

Aug 30, 2011 11:06 AM
#21
Emmary Simpson
Las Cruces Homes and Land - Las Cruces, NM
Serving Las Cruces, NM

In Tucson, we have to sign in every single time with an official sign in sheet. If there is none, then we leave a card with the date and time we were there. (Sometimes sign in sheets disappear.)

Aug 30, 2011 11:10 AM
Danny Ma
New Pacific Realty - San Francisco, CA

My instincts tell me that Realtors of the Humboldt County, California Association of Realtors who support this idea are people who have too much time on their hands.  Some may probably be power hungry board members of HOA that like to create Draconian rules.

 

Aug 30, 2011 11:10 AM
Danny Ma
New Pacific Realty - San Francisco, CA

I apologize for the additional post but it seems like some Realtors are too lazy to check the Supra boxes. 

Aug 30, 2011 11:13 AM
Donna Harris
Donna Homes, powered by JPAR - TexasRealEstateMediationServices.com - Austin, TX
Realtor,Mediator,Ombudsman,Property Tax Arbitrator

Many here in Austin leave a business card at listings, but I do not. It is against the COE to market to people already represented and it would be my luck to get someone who thought my business card left on the seller's counter was marketing to them to call me when their listing expired.

Aug 30, 2011 12:03 PM
Bob & Carolin Benjamin
Benjamin Realty LLC - Gold Canyon, AZ
East Phoenix Arizona Homes

This seems a bit more than unsafe for the agents who are leaving their signatures -- not a good idea at all. Our 2 cents.

Aug 30, 2011 04:37 PM
Anonymous
Justin Ryan

Just another example why the real estate business is where it is.  People not thinking things out or asking for advice.  Sure the market is set by the buyers, but how many realtors believe in the value of properties?  It is much easier to make lower and lower offers.  If realtors don't believe their areas have value, their customers will not either. 

Aug 31, 2011 01:34 AM
#28
Fred Strickroot
Fred Strickroot - HomeNet - Tampa Bay Area - 727-478-8997 - Trinity, FL
Tampa Bay Area Homes For Sale

Dan, I have to agree with you. I would not like that rule and I hope they do not implement that in at the local association here.

Aug 31, 2011 08:33 AM