The lock box if its wireless is designed to tell the Realtor who, when and at what time the home was shown. However most keys can be programed to open at certain times only. Your agent should note on the listing that a curtsey call is needed.

In reference to the agent who showed your home with out notice. I've done that my self as I may be showing in the area and the clients want to see a home. I normally knock first and if they have children I take turns with the couple or I keep an eye on them.

We expect every one to be professional but it doesn't always work out that way.
The best of luck with the sale of your home. Oscar Saroza Associate-Broker Atlanta GA

Fri Mar 28 2008, 06:05

"I'm just not sure as a seller that I would choose an agent who takes this stance over an agent who prefers to be at a showing for the many good reasons I put forth before."

I think, as a potential seller, that this statement is of concern to someone who may be just getting started to sell. It's pretty clear that there are regional variations in what is customary. If a seller is in an area where it is common for occupied homes to have a lockbox and for listing agents *not* to be present during showings, and they read the above statement - what are they going to think when they look for an agent and the agents tell them that they should be using a lockbox? "These agents are all slackers!" When really it's just a matter of the common practice in that area. They may even go so far as to ponder "Well, if all of these agents are slackers, maybe I'll just list my home by owner."

I know that when it's time for me to put my home on the market, our agent (who was our buyer's agent eight years ago and is truly awesome) and I (and DH) will work together and do what it takes to get our house sold. I suspect that a lockbox will be a part of the picture. Fortunately, I know that he's neither lazy or stupid (or we wouldn't be going back to him), and will use all of his resources to get our home sold at a good price.

Fri Mar 28 2008, 05:40

Interestingly enough, those protesting the loudest seem to be Kevin & Jovana. I haven't seen any "excited" or "overly emotional" responses. Merely differences of opinion. All of them have recognized your right to your opinion, and yet, you can't seem to manage to recognize that we too, might have a point.

I can see why you need/want to accompany all showings. And that's great. In our area, however, unless you're talking about a higher-end property, accompanying showings is very rare, and we've had very few problems. No stolen items, no damaged property, and oddly enough... even without the listing agent there to point out all the wonderful aspects of the home, we have managed to sell homes in our area for many decades.

The electronic lock box system may not be foolproof (and lord knows there are plenty of fools in our industry), but it is a darn good system and works very well. Maybe it's possible, just maybe that using the lockbox system, outside of your real estate practice, has it's place and isn't always "lazy or stupid".

Additionally, it's okay to diasgree, in public as long as it's polite and professional, and the only thing I've seen on this thread that wasn't polite and professional was the use of the terms "lazy & stupid".

Sun Mar 16 2008, 07:18

One last note that was not mentioned in this discussion. The trade area that Kevin works in uses the General Electric Supra iBox. The software on these boxes allows for some very flexible programing. The weekday times can be set, Saturday Times and Sunday Times. as well.

If you really want to crank down on who gets in, there is a CBS setting. The Call Before Showing (CBS) setting requires the buyer's agent to call the Listing agent for an additional code to open the box. Using the CBS you could presscreen the agent calling and determine if you are comfortable enough to give out the CBS. Additionally you know right then and there who is going in and at what time. You can even tell the agent to make sure that their client's kids do not play with the toys in the house.

There is a note section in the software so a note will pop up right after the box is opened and you can type in any important notices for the agent. Whether this is a perfect system is really not the point, however it is not the wild west where anything goes on a listing just because the list agent is not at every showing.

Sat Mar 15 2008, 23:49

If my clients expect me to be at every showing, I explain to them that if I can, I will, however I have other homes to show also, and i may be with customers. The way we work is tthe agents call us or our office to request a showing, then we call the client and tell them what time the agent is coming. I instruct my clients to turn on all the lights and either ask them to leave, or I have the agent call 15 minutes before and let them know they're on the way. It's important when a potential buyer come into the home, that they feel as if they are entering 'their" house. It's important that they don't feel they are going to socialize with someone in THEIR house. Buyers have to be able to imagine the house as their own, and give feedback and ask questions freely. If they have a question their agent can't answer, it's a perfect opportunity form the agent to ask us and get back to them and talk more about the house.

Just FYI, last week I took a buyer out. It was my first time with them, and their first time seeing houses. One of the homes I wanted to schedule could not be shown, because the agent had to be present, and she couldn't show it at all that day. My buyer made an offer on one of the homes I was able to get them into, and they are now in contract. This is a first contact with a buyer to contract in one week. I wonder how the homeowner whose house I couldn't get into would feel if they knew I wanted to show it and couldn't get it?

Sat Mar 15 2008, 18:21

Unbelievable! I am glad I have a sense of humor because this has gotten somewhat absurd. Yes, thanks for your concern Sylvia, but I did indeed get her permission.

I wish I had the time to sit around and discuss the finer points of lockboxes, but I need to go show a house and get it sold! (For reference: it is not on a lockbox.)

Good luck everyone! I have made my points and have gotten a few emails from people (agents, I think) who agree but seem to be afraid to risk being bombarded with strange, overly-emotional responses about lockboxes on here! But this has been instructional and fun.

Now let's get those houses sold!

Sat Mar 15 2008, 17:45

Hello Jen:

I noted that part of my answers is quoted by you about what I heard that some buyer agents will not show a house if they need to make an appointment. Unfortunately, when things are taking out of context, then it can be misinterpreted, such is this case.

And, Kevin, I am surprised that you would copy and paste some body's private email to you online (I assume you received Jen's permission?) and not ask me to explain, certainly not how I would have conducted my business.

I do want to clarify - I have never refused to show a property when an agent and/or a potential buyer calls me and ask me if I can help, However, if you read my posting carefully, that is not the norm in Marin. It has nothing to do with laziness, just how customary things are run. There are listings where the sellers require appointments, and that's how it will be conducted. I do let my sellers know that they may lose some showings by requiring that, if they are fine with it, that's how that house will be shown.

You will be surprised at how a buyer wants to see a house right there and then and sometimes an agent did not think of a certain home or was not able to get an answer from the seller, and they will be out looking at a house that afternoon. We have buyers agent call the house while they stand in front the house (they are driving around and see the for sale sign, not planned). Do you want your seller to miss that opportunity because the listing agent might not be around?

One of my clients who sold her house in Marin and moved to Laos Angles last Thanksgiving had a window of two days (one on each end of a certain week when she was coming in and out of town) to look for a house - she was from a foreign country, coming to visit the family and buying a home for her kids.

They planned to see certain homes, but one of the listing agent just had a surgery, could not show the house during either of those two days. The buyer agent showed the house to my client without the listing agent's presence.

Guess what, that;s the house she bought. All in two days. One day to see, came back the next week to review.

if they insisted on seeing the house with listing agent's presence, the house would not have been shown and not sold; at least , not so fast and not to her. It was a hassle-free sale from what I heard.

So take your pick during a buyers market and if I don't pass judgement on you, please do not do that to me, especially if you don't know all the situation.

Sylvia .

Sat Mar 15 2008, 17:23

Kevin,

That is an understandable email and not surprising. Not everyone is educated on how the process works and I would come to the same conclusion.

In Southern Claifornia you are not only the minority your are the microscopic minorty. Tens of thousand of homes are sold each year in Southern California alone under the lockbox system and this has been going on since even before I bought my first home in 1986. Nothing new here. When I bought my second home in 1994, My agent took me to dozen of occupied homes through the lockbox system without the listing agent present. There is a system and it works.

The issue of LAZY? Ha now that is a laugh. I have shown as many as 20 homes in one day, want to come along for that ride and then at the end of the day define LAZY?

The point of contention is that there is a system, it is used all over the country everyday, you disagree with that system and that is okay for you to disagree. Several of us here on the post are just pointing out how things are done and that it is not as problematic as you suggest, simple disagreement on proceedure.

Sat Mar 15 2008, 17:14

Here is an email I just received (really!) from someone reading this thread:

"Wow! I cannot believe these agents are actually arguing on a website that potential clients can read, that they are too busy to show houses and that they think it's ok to let strangers in their client's homes unsupervised. And that is besides the good points you make that as an agent you are supposed to be showing the home and selling it! And now there is an agent who just said "I have heard of instances where the buyers agent will not bother to show a house if they have to make an appointment to show the house..." Ohmygod!! Are you kidding me?? I think you are right! How lazy is that? The excuse should not be "it's a buyer's market so let's run around and do things the wrong way!" They should be making sure they can show the properties when showings are requested, because in a buyer's market agents need to do MORE, not less, to get a home sold! These agents are just arguing about different ways to get out of doing their job! Great way to promote themselves! -Jen"

Thus concludes a real, unsolicited email from a woman named Jen who just happened to be reading this thread...

Sat Mar 15 2008, 16:56

I guess I should never go on vacation or my kid's soccer game. Under your proposal, I would not be able to do anything but be on call at a moment's notice to show my listing. Life happens, I need to be out networking socially to find buyers for my listing rather than sitting around to let other Realtors in. If a buyer (who already has an Agent) needs to see my listing, it should not be dependent on my schedule.

I properly prepare my clients for this procedure. You are mis-representing how the process works. The Lockbox system in our trade area ( and we both work the same "regoinal" trade area as members of Socal MLS) is not open to just anyone. You need to hold a valid DRE license, you need to abide by a code of Ethics. There is accountability. The Supra iBox system requires your key to be authorized daily to access the boxes; so the MLS can shut you down promptly if you misbehave. If you are running around putting dial combo boxes on your listing then yes I agree your should be at every showing. Otherwise I refuse to make a property difficult to see when 99% of the competting listings are 100 times more flexible than yours.

Education and Preparation of your clients really make a difference.

Kevin if you really feel this is the way to sell a listing..........more power to you. I have been able to make the system work as it is designed.

Sat Mar 15 2008, 16:56

In Marin, our custom is not to have the listing agent be present at showings.

First, we educate our clients so that they know to lock all their valuables and certain medicines away. This is true whether it is for buyer agent showing the home or for when the listing agent is holding open house - we do not follow prospects around the house.

Our lock box key needs to be sync with the server on a daily basis, which ensures the agent who possesses the lock box key is current with MAR. We also need to enter a password in order to open the lock on top of the daily sync. All buyers will be accompanied by their agents.

Another practical reason is the market. Because there are a lot of houses on the market, and the fact that this is a buyer's market, we encourage our sellers to be flexible concerning showing instructions.

I have heard of instances where the buyers agent will not bother to show a house if they have to make an appointment to show the house, not to mention if they have to wait until it's convenient time for the seller or the listing agent just to make sure they are around. Sometimes the buyers are only in town for a certain period of time.

As competitive as the market is, I think the sellers will need to weight certain things to decide what they want to do.

I believe most agents are responsible - they have to be on the receiving end also - I have not had heard complaints about showings so far - other than when agents don't show up after they called asking to show.

Sylvia .

Sat Mar 15 2008, 16:37

I find it interesting that a couple of people on here can't address what I am saying, but instead seem to feel a need to get very excited about things, and seem to take this discussion much more personally than they should be. I am answering Jenny's question. If you are confused about it please feel free to read it again!

If you feel it is appropriate to send complete strangers into your clients homes unsupervised, and you trust every single agent in your area that has access to a lockbox, and their clients, and their clients kids, and you also disagree that it makes more sense for an agent to actually BE at a showing and to SELL the house by pointing out the positive aspects of the home, then feel free to say so. I'm just not sure as a seller that I would choose an agent who takes this stance over an agent who prefers to be at a showing for the many good reasons I put forth before. You just aren't making any good point at all. If you choose to promote yourself as the agent who prefers to not be there for showings, and prefers to allow strangers in your clients' homes unsupervised, then I guess that is a new, forward, modern way of promoting yourself, and I apologize for being so behind they times! Here's the new tag line for business cards: "John Smith, The agent who will not show your home!"

Sat Mar 15 2008, 16:20

Resistance to change is futile!!!!

Sat Mar 15 2008, 16:06

I see, so you're not willing to agree that sometimes things are done differently "regionally"... and you stand by the statement that 50%, or more, of the agents in the united states are either Lazy, Stupid or both.

If we're not doing it your way, we're doing it wrong.

Nice, very nice.

Sat Mar 15 2008, 14:47

I stand by everything I said! If you don't have the time to show a property then have a colleague or an assistant show it. As an agent it is your responsibility to make sure the home looks as good as possible when it is shown, point out all of the good things and features that are not so obvious (new electrical, copper plumbing, etc.) and to be there to answer any questions about the property. It is very rare for occupied homes in the areas we work- the Hollywood Hills and West Hollywood- to be on lock box. While it is sometimes done in the Valley we rarely ever see it here. (Vacant homes and condos definitely can be found on lockbox, however.) Jenny, the home seller who posed this question, points out a few of the many things that can go wrong when an agent is not present. We have a fiduciary duty to our clients, and part of that duty is to make sure that their home and the personal property in it are protected. A few people have mentioned that because it is a buyer's market the home needs to be available to be shown at all times... but that can still be accomplished by the listing agent (or a colleague, assistant, etc.) actually SHOWING it when requested. There are also many ways to show a home without hovering over a potential buyer. We usually give a quick tour, answer any questions, and then allow the buyer and their agent to take their time and look through the property at their leisure. I have no problem putting a vacant home or condo on lockbox- we even did it with one of our own investment condos... but I still found myself meeting agents and their buyers out there because I wanted to make sure all their questions were answered and that I could point out the many good things about the condo. The supra lockboxes and iboxes do address some of the problems as far as knowing who was there and when they were there, but they do not address the concerns Jenny brought up about people being unsupervised in her house, showing up unannounced, etc.

Sat Mar 15 2008, 13:19

If you agent is not using an ibox and uses the old school combination dail box, you have problems that would take too long to address in this forum.
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