If you are selling your home in the current market, you’ve probably spent lots of time and money getting your house in top condition. But if you have your agent conducting showings for you instead of installing a lockbox, you are not helping your sale.
As part of their services, most listing agent/Realtors in high-end areas set up appointments with buyers’ Realtors and their clients and then meet them at the property. However, it has been harder and harder to get showing appointments lately.
I’ve recently encountered the following:
- In trying to schedule showings of five properties with a day’s notice, only two appointments could be arranged;
- I had to call one agent five times to get one return call for a showing appointment.
- One agent insisted that we meet her at precisely 3:00 pm. While we were there at 3:00, she was 10 minutes late, announced that we only had 20 minutes to see the house, and had scheduled two other showings at the same time.
I could go on, but you get it.
In my opinion, there are only two reasons that a lockbox shouldn’t be installed: 1) if uncontrollable pets are home alone; and 2) if children are home alone. All valuables and collectibles should be removed from premises prior to showing. That’s just common sense.
Electronic lockboxes and key pads are safe and reliable – only licensed agents have them, and they all have a pin code that must be input each time one is opened. Identity of an entrant can be easily, quickly tracked on line. An agent can call the listing agent or occupant to say they will be showing the house at a particular time, and then go to see the property directly. So if you’re a seller, do yourself a favor and have your Realtor install an electronic lockbox. Your number of showings will definitely increase. And the more showings you have, the sooner you’re likely to be in escrow.
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