I do not like lockboxes because of 3 reasons.
1. They are not safe. People that live alone should not have the keys to their home in a bock outside on the door, visible for all to see as well as easy access for anyone that received the code since the house went up for sale. I had a client who was home, in the nude, relaxing in her house-when two male agents and a male client came into her house using the lockbox key. They were 3 days late and they did not knock. The client almost fired me.
2. Lockboxes announce to the entire neighborhood that I may be able to get into your house if I have access to the code. Unsafe again.
3. Squatters. I had a squatter obtain entry into one of my listings and refused to leave. She showed the Police a lease which was, I assume, prepared by her and not even signed. The seller fired me, threatened to sue me, and blamed me for giving all the agents in the MLS access to his home. He said I should have attended personally and provided entry to all the potential clients and their agents. That I do not agree with. It is no way for me to attend all showings, however I do agree that lockboxes are a wave of the past.
I do not have a solution as to a replacement for lockboxes, but I hope that some type of security device will be invented soon to help agents to show homes to their clients.
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