I was working with a new client. It was our first time out and we had not really established the rapport that is so important between buyer agents and the buyer.
The first home we saw was a recent foreclosure. As we opened the door, the smell hit us. Rotten food! The owner had cleared out anything that was 
able to be removed (appliances, lighting, plumbing fixtures, etc) but left the refrigerator--stuffed full of rotting food. The buyer was a good sport and continued around the house, actually pretending to be able to evaluate the pros and cons of the property. It was a brief visit, however and we moved on to another home in the neighborhood.
To this day, I will never know the story on this home. It was listed as a short sale. We were greeted at the front door by a woman and her young son. They were friendly enough and invited us in to view the house--no caveats or restrictions at all.
As we made our way around the town house, it felt a little creepy. All of the windows were covered and no lights were on (it was getting dark out, but still was dusk). We turned on lights, when we could find them, and were able to get a sense of the layout. We went from the upstairs all the way to the basement. At the base of the stairs, we were faced with 3 closed doors. Given that it was a townhouse, I figured one was probably a family room-style room, one was a storage room and the third could be a den or bathroom. We knocked on the first, and receiving no response, we entered. It was a family room, being used as a bedroom (not unusual in a short sale, as we all know). We closed that door and knocked on the 2nd door. No response again, so we opened it to find the laundry and storage. Finally, we knocked on the third door. Again no response, so I opened the door.
I was greeted by screams and laughter as I confronted a naked couple on the bed, in the dark (but with enough light to see them in all of their glory). My client was behind me, so I was able to quickly close the door without embarrassing him too much. Why did this couple not respond to my knock? Who knows! Why did the woman who answered the door not let me know there were other people home? Again, who knows?
Needless to say, I never heard from this client again.Two showings, two very awkward and uncomfortable situations. Unfortunately, it's a day in the life of a Realtor--although luckily, they are not all so traumatic!
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