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I am no longer a Realtor®....................

Reblogger
Real Estate Agent with Compass

Ahh, another day in the glamorous life of a Realtor, as described by Juli Vosmik in Scottsdale, AZ.  All we do is open doors and drive around in our Mercedes all day!  This reminds me of the time I had to jump through a basement window to show one of my own listings because the key was stuck.  Similar situation:  A buyer's agent called and said the key was stuck, so I rushed right over with my extra key, it would not work either, but I knew a basement window was open so I squeezed myself through it and jumped in!   I would never just tell the buyer's agent to go get herself some WD-40.  Pitiful....Meanwhile - the buyer's agent SOLD the house!  Well worth the potential broken bones :).

Original content by Juli Vosmik SA582226000

As of today, I am no longer a Realtor®.  Here's why.........

 

     I'm working with a wonderful couple who want to buy a home and we picked out the homes to see today.  Yesterday, I called on every listing to confirm the homes were not under contract, that they were still on lockbox and available to view and scheduled the appointments on the ones which were occupied and needed times.  See, that's part of my job as a Realtor®. 

     My clients and I met at 9:00 AM for a quick coffee then headed off.  The first two showings were "okay" - they had the room count and home size they need, but just didn't knock their socks off.  Went to the third home.  Accessed the lockbox, grabbed the key, walked up a flight of steps (the home is at the top of the hill), but the key doesn't work.  I jiggled, pulled the door, pushed the door - nothing.  Both of the buyers tried their hands at getting this lock to budge - nothing.  I trudged down the flight of stairs and down the steep driveway (did I mention the home is on top of the hill?) and grabbed the listing sheet to call the agent to ask if there was a "trick" to opening the door.   

     Her response:  Oh yeah, I had that problem the last time I was at the home about 6 months ago.  I had to get a can of WD40®, spray it into the lock, and then it worked fine.  But, I haven't been to the house since then........(alarm goes off in my head.)  Since you're already in the area, why don't you go to the local Walgreens and buy one yourself.   

     My clients thought it was worth the trip since we had already traveled over 30 miles to see the home, so off we went.  $5.92 later, we're back at the house.  I grabbed that trusty little red strawlike thing and sprayed the inside of the lock (all that goop splattered all over me and my hands got covered with that goop.)  Nope, not working.  I sprayed the key directly - no luck.  Now, with my hands covered in goop AND my shirt all splattered with BLACK GUNK, we trudged back down the flight of stairs and the steep driveway.  After wiping my hands on a rag my husband insists on keeping in the trunk (I love you, honey!!!!), I called the agent again and got voice mail.  Left a message - no call back since 10:30 AM.

 

     So, I guess I'm  no longer a Realtor® but the proverbial grease monkey!!!! 

 

 

 

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 Scottsdale and Cave Creek Real Estate

 

Juli Vosmik

Dominion Real Estate Partners, LLC

480-710-0739

 

Helping you make smart informed decisions whether buying or selling homes in Arizona.  I know the area - I live here.

 

 

 

 

Comments (10)

James Dray
Fathom Realty - Bentonville, AR

Grease monkeys are in demand now with all the computer assisted stuff and with her knowledge I think she would make a great grease monkey.  Tell her to send me a resume and I'll distribute it among the many dealers we have around here.

Dec 07, 2011 10:35 PM
Carlotta Remong
Berkshire Hathaway HS N.E. Prime Properties - Newport, RI

Coral, I am relieved to know it is not just a Rhode Island thing. I have had so many instances where I was just about ready to give up trying to get in with a decrepid key and voila the door opens. And of course there are times when the key and the lock just do not match and you need to get another key from the owner.

Dec 07, 2011 10:40 PM
Mona Gersky
MoonDancer Realty, Dillsboro,NC - Sylva, NC
GRI,IMSD-Taking the mystery out of real estate.

Doesn't it just blow you away and make you say "What is the matter with some listing agents anyway?"  If a buyers agent was trying to show my listing and couldn't get in, I'd be mortified and would get to the house as quickly as possible to try and remedy the situation.  I probably would have rescheduled to have the listing agent meet us, let them purchase the WD40 with the petty cash laying around in their Mercedes and move on to the next house.

Dec 07, 2011 10:57 PM
Peggy James
SAMSON PROPERTIES - Woodbridge, VA
Woodbridge Virginia Area Real Estate Specialist

Coral, I think we all have done things we never thought we would. I climb under a porch once to get a key that fell through the cracks. Ick!!! I had nightmares..LOL So many people think real estate is a glamorus business. You have to thrive on each day being different and be a problem solver.

Dec 07, 2011 10:57 PM
Jeff Pearl
RE/MAX Distinctive / LIC in VA - Lovettsville, VA
Full Service Full Time Realtor

The bank probably foreclosed and changed the locks, and listing agent doesn't have a clue. ( Listing agent doesn't have a clue even if bank hasn't foreclosed and changed locks). I've ran into a few locks like that, makes me want to kick the door in, but I usually go around and check all doors and windows to see if there's another way in. A call to the list agents broker is in order. At east now, Juli can say she has experience if she needs to get a part time job at Jiffy Lube!

Dec 07, 2011 11:05 PM
Chiara Petro, Broker
eXp Realty, LLC - Knoxville, TN
Commercial Investment Specialist

Coral, yup, a day in the life, indeed. I've had buyer clients that have gotten pretty frustrated when keys don't work. inevitably the house that is not easily accessible is crossed off the list pretty quickly.

Dec 07, 2011 11:10 PM
Carol Zingone
Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Florida Network Realty - Jacksonville Beach, FL
Global Realtor in Jax Beach, FL - ABR, CRS, CIPS

I, too, keep WD 40 (among other things) in my trunk for this very reason.....

Dec 07, 2011 11:40 PM
Coral Gundlach
Compass - Arlington, VA
Real Lives. Not Just Real Estate.

Thanks for the comments!  Locks do get sticky, some are just plain tricky, changes in weather can cause this problem too.  But if it's your listing, you should warn buyer's agents and do everything YOU can do remedy the situation.   Telling another agent to go buy WD-40 is beyond the pale!

Dec 07, 2011 11:45 PM
Stella Barbour
NoVa Brokers LLC - Vienna, VA
Principal Broker, Serving Virginia and Maryland

That is frustrating.  Good thing you were prepared.  Great tip on keeping WD 40 in the vehicle.

Dec 08, 2011 12:08 AM
Cindy Jones
Integrity Real Estate Group - Woodbridge, VA
Pentagon, Fort Belvoir & Quantico Real Estate News

And people wonder why we don't dress up anymore when showing houses.

Dec 08, 2011 06:30 AM