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Guess what WE did today...Locked an MLS keypad in a listing!

By Adam Tarr

Real Estate Agent with MavRealty

February 28, 2007 12:16 PM

Yep, I knew it was just a matter of time....

I always thought it would be me - I tend to have more 'junk' in hand - listings, phone, keypad, keys, lockbox insert, purse, etc. I usually do a 'mental check list' before I lock up the house, but anyone who knows me, knows that in my personal life I am what you might call, "Key-retaining-challenged". I've locked myself out of my house more times than I can count!

So today, Adam and I headed out to preview some high-end condos in downtown and central Phoenix. We had 15-20 to preview. As we pulled into the second one, we couldn't find Adam's key. We tore his car APART, before realizing what we all fear: We must have locked it in the last listing!

We learned there is 1 more great advantage to having a partner - they ALSO have an MLS key, so you are not at the mercy of the listing agent!!! Unfortunately, I didn't have mine with, so we had to trek 20-25 minutes BACK to Scottsdale to get MY key, to get his key! The listing had black granite counters; Adam had put his keypad down to leave a card, and it 'blended' in!

I'm sure it's happened to others before - care to share?

We're just glad we were PREVIEWING, not with clients!

Sharon Kotula, ABR
Adam Tarr, e-PRO
RE/MAX Excalibur
Scottsdale, AZ

www.WeAreAZRealEstate.com

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Tony and Suzanne Marriott, Associate Brokers

Serving the Greater Phoenix and Scottsdale Metropolitan Area - Scottsdale, AZ

Coldwell Banker Realty

I think I read a post about this some months ago. Never happened to me - yet! Hope it never does!

Feb 28, 2007 12:18 PM

Leigh Brown

Leigh Brown & Associates, RE/MAX Executive - Charlotte, NC

CEO, Dream Maker - Charlotte, NC

Ouch! So glad I finally got a Treo-no chance of leaving it behind-it's too big! =)

Feb 28, 2007 12:19 PM

Rich Kruse

Gryphon USA, Ltd. - Columbus, OH

I'd love to call you a dork, but welcome to the club is more appropriate.

Feb 28, 2007 12:21 PM

Jim Lee, REALTOR, CRS, ABR

RE/MAX Shoreline - Portsmouth, NH

Buying or Selling? Ann & Jim are the local experts

I've done that on more than one occasion.

I've also went out and locked the door with the key inside the house instead of the keybox (on more than one occasion).

Set off a few alarms.

Carried off a few keys after forgetting to put it back in the lockbox.

Feb 28, 2007 12:24 PM

Mario Levesque

Advantage Avenue Real Estate - Wesley Chapel, FL

Tampa Realtor

I had this constent fear until i got the Treo. The problem with me was that I left the key at the house on my way to the listings. Now that the key is integrated with my phone I have no mishaps to report. Touch wood... :-)

Mario

Feb 28, 2007 12:26 PM

"JT" Prevatte

Former Agent - Fayetteville, NC

I guess I am paranoid....I always check, double check and double check again. Glad you were able to work it out and get on with what you needed to do!

Feb 28, 2007 12:33 PM

Patricia Aulson

BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HOME SERVICES Verani Realty NH Real Estate - Exeter, NH

Realtor - Portsmouth NH Homes-Hampton NH Homes

I'll bet everyone has had this happened at least once in there life. There is always so much to look after. God should have made us women with more hands.

Patricia Aulson/SEACOAST NH & ME

www.patricia4realestate.com

Feb 28, 2007 12:37 PM

Adam Tarr

MavRealty - Phoenix, AZ

PC -GRI, ABR, CDPE, RSPS, ePro - Designated Broker

Well, I guess a hearty thanks a lot goes out to my partner for pointing out my foibles. At least she mentioned that it was more a surprise that it wasn't her. How many phones have you dropped in the pool so far? ;-) She forgot to say that I was cursing myself for quite a while, and I am sure that she was holding in tons of glee!

Feb 28, 2007 12:39 PM

Denise Brophy

Re/Max Realty Specialists - St Johns, NL

ABR ePRO CERC

I've done it as well including not only leaving the keypad but my purse, car keys, cell phone and, I hate to admit it, all after locking the keys in the car - running. It was just one of those days. No repeat performances since.

Feb 28, 2007 12:40 PM

Jennifer Fivelsdal

JFIVE Home Realty LLC | 845-758-6842|162 Deer Run Rd Red Hook NY 12571 - Rhinebeck, NY

Mid Hudson Valley real estate connection

I have not yet locked my keys at a listing, but in the 90's I use to lock my keys in my car, sometimes with the car running or with my pocket book and money on the front seat.

Just this Sunday I accidentally took my husband car key and house key, so he was locked out of house andd car, it was a cold day, thankfully he had his cell phone.

Feb 28, 2007 12:42 PM

Dena Stevens

Rocky Mountain Realty - Canon City, CO

Putting The Real Into Realtor Since 2004

I had my Treo, but locked the listing sheets for the whole day in a house. Fortunately, I hit enter on my Treo again and the box released and I got the key.

Feb 28, 2007 12:43 PM

Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400

HomeRome Realty 410-530-2400 - Pikesville, MD

Sell Your Home With Margaret Rome

Bet this won't happen to you again!

I once locked myself out on a master bedroom balcony of a home. The balcony door locked behind me. Lucky for me the front door was open! How frustrating. Finally was able to reach my daughter on the cell phone and had her come to the house to "rescue" me and future buyers.

Feb 28, 2007 12:51 PM

Susan Milner

Florida Future Realty, Inc. - Cape Coral, FL

Cape Coral Real Estate Broker, FloridaFutureAgents

I have a 2 part comment to this one.

Last Saturday I was showing homes & one of the buyers left the folder with all the listings I had given him in the house. Luckily we only got to the car when we realized & went right back in to retrieve it.

Last month, the day before a closing, the buyer's agent was doing the final walk through on my listing & he offered to bring the lockbox to closing for me. I agreed & thanked him. Somewhere between taking the key out & getting to closing he LOST THE KEY. HE THEN STARTED TO BLAME ME BECAUSE MY SELLER'S DOCS, WITH AN EXTRA SET OF KEYS WAS HELD UP WITH FED EX....LOL

Feb 28, 2007 01:14 PM

Christopher & Bernadette Hurley

Go Hurley Group - Sugar Land, TX

My Treo screen crashed and was illedgible during a showing. I ended up searching for the correct digits on the key pad by memory. YIKES

Lets Go Sell Something

Feb 28, 2007 01:21 PM

Tori Stamps

Stamps Realty - Franklin, TN

MA JD - Broker/Owner Franklin TN Homes for Sale

i left the keypad in one of the old Supra locks - in the last house of the day that we looked at. I realized it when they wanted to stop at a house in town that we had driven by (vacant). I went to look for the key and that's when it hit me. Not a big deal, but the last house we looked at was 2 counties over (about a 45 minute drive). I had to go back the next morning (early, early) to get it before we started looking again the next day. Now I ALWAYS put it in my pocket after using it.

Feb 28, 2007 02:03 PM

1~Judi Barrett

Integrity Real Estate Services 116 SE AVE N, Idabel, OK 74745 - Idabel, OK

BS Ed, Integrity Real Estate Services -IDABEL OK

I have to lose at least 1 major key a year. There is no way around it for me. I truly do not do it on purpose. It's usually a car key that turns out to be expensive to replace.

Judi

Feb 28, 2007 02:09 PM

Marchel Peterson

Results Realty - Spring, TX

Spring TX Real Estate E-Pro

I had an agent call me to let me know that she had locked the key in a vacant house. My client is now living across town which in Houston is a long trip. Luckily she had a key pad on the garage door and no one had locked the door from the house to the garage.

I have worried about locking my key box in the house but now that I have the TREO my worries are over. My cell phone is always attached to my hip.

Feb 28, 2007 03:06 PM

Kaushik Sirkar

Call Realty, Inc. - Chandler, AZ

Saw a similar post some time back. Never happened to me before, but I am deathly afraid of it happening...i pay extra attention to my lockbox key - it goes back in my pocket before i even get the key out of the lockbox!

Feb 28, 2007 05:15 PM

Roger Stensland

Keller Williams Realty Puget Sound - Maple Valley, WA

Let's Move!

Never done that yet, but I have locked my keys in my truck several times. The good thing about my new truck is that it has a keypad on the door. Too bad houses don't have more keypads on their doors.

Feb 28, 2007 05:39 PM

Fred Pickard

Fred Pickard Innovations Realty Inc - Hershey, PA

Hershey, PA

This might be an oversimplification:

I leave the keypad in the lockbox until I leave. That way, I'm sure to return the key to the box and retrieve my keypad.

The one exception was when I worked in south Florida and had to show a condo that had 10 or 12 lockboxes on a fence outside. Then I did take the keypad

Mar 01, 2007 01:05 AM