Are you showing a house, or breaking and entering?

In our MLS we have a showing service that is pretty responsive and does away with most of the angst with listing agents.

Pat, you make a very valuable contribution to us all. You are so right that going onto a property without permission is not permissible.

I know the frustration of unresponsive agents, especially when it is stated it is vacant. But we still need to get permission.

Thanks

Call listing agent first is always the bottom line.  In a seasonal market such as ours, who knows when the owners might show up for the weekend.

I have seen owners bar agents that show up with out asking.

Even had one this past summer that called out the cops because they knew someone had been in the house without permission - and we knew nothing about it!  -  thanks to Sentrilock cards that don't update showings until they are "renewed"

It would probably be helpful for listing agents to fully understand the implication of this issue.  It's tough when you have a vacant house to show and the listing agent doesn't hold open houses, broker opens and either the seller or listing agent limits access etc.  

I am amazed that female agents break in. Go to property talking to sellers w/o chking with listing agent. I had one woman climbed over the fence trying to get see a property. The backdoor was popped open.  

I don't really understand why this needs to be said. Of course you need to confirm showings with the listing agent. Period. No exceptions. And that includes new construction. I've showed more new construction listings this year than is typical for me and often there is no lockbox and it's a garage code to enter. Even if I know the code I call the agent before hand to clear whether it's okay to go in. Every agent should know this. I've known it from Day 1 as an agent. Anytime you enter a property without permission it's breaking and entering. End of story.

Very valid points. Great post. 

Great post!  I think it is basically Criminal Law 101.  Just because a home has a lock box on it, doesn't mean you can go in whenever you want to.  Whether the home is vacant or not, you do not have permission to enter the premises without calling, unless the MLS listing states so and gives you the code.  If it has instructions, then you need to follow them or it is criminal trespassing.  I don't see how someone can view it any other way.  

Totally agree.  Showing instructions need to be followed.  Thanks for reminding everyone of this.

Great points and it must be slightly unnerving when the alarms of hell start playing!

Hi Patricia Kennedy - I remember years ago before I was a Realtor, my husband had to install a special lock to keep realtors out who just showed up without calling.  I am not sure this will ever change but I appreciate the heads up.  don't want to be put into a bad situation. 

Good blog! I had a client woken up at 7am on on a Sunday by his front door opening. Imagine the surprise of the Realtor & his buyers when my 6'4" seller greeted them in the hallway in his boxer shorts and his Beretta m9 cocked and pointed at them. That was one time I picked up the phone on a Sunday based on all the missed calls and texts from him. Showing instructions clearly stated no showings before 10am. We didn't file a complaint, my seller, after calming down said the shear terror and screaming from the three "intruders" satisfied his sense of payback enough. We started using the Call Before Showing code feature on the lock box after that!

When pushed to show a home that I have not received the confirmation from the showing agent, I simply say, "I simply cannot risk losing my license", and the buyers usually say, "Oh! I wouldn't want you to lose your license, okay."

I always warn my clients that a Realtor will come unannounced using the excuse, "But I called and left a message. You didn't get it?" I don't want to denigrate another Realtor but its such a target rich envirenment! We have a "have/wants" list we put together at our weekly Realtor Marketing Meeting. Many Realtors state they have a new listing coming on the market next week and give the address with the caveat--NO SHOWS until then.  Agents will get the "have/want" list, see the listing, search MLS but not see it there and then do a google search pulling up  Zillow or Trulia showng the property as if its actually listed. The Realtor/Agent then goes and knocks on the door to show it with client(s) in tow! They don't call the listing agent but go and show. What ryhmes with Moron? I've been known to set the "time to show" on our Supra boxes to a short window just as a defense mechanism. And how about READING the confidential remarks?

I typically will not show it without confirmation. I let my buyers know that the agent is unreachable and we'll try another time if we don't find another house that same day!

Our Board Attorney sends out this reminder about once per quarter (usually because someone got in serious trouble for violating the showing instructions).  A Lockbox is NOT an invitation to open the door... read the MLS showing instructions!

I sure thought that having a Sentrilock card grants someone Super-access.

It sure seems that's how some agents work; the Seller's (and Listing Agent's) frustrations are very logical.

Don't know how I missed this one but I did - thanks for alerting me to the alligators in the waters! 

Good morning Patricia. I missed this and am happy Lise re-blogged it. Very serious stff and I am glad it is.

You would think that this would be common sense, right? HA!  I have seen so many agents that have done so many crazy things...this post definitely needed to be written.  We can only hope that those who needed to see it did in fact read this blog post!  I am so thankful for our central showing service!