Sounds like you are having a rough go off it. Unfortunately, when people get a real estate license they don't automatcally acquire good manners, I hope you don't have to do too much letter writing in the future.

Wendy - good for you, our board fines realtors who violate their rules and regulations.  Giving your MLS password or lockbox key to a non-member is a definite violation.  That was good thinking to take the lockbox off your listing, sometimes it works best for the seller to place it on the front porch with proper notice.

Hi Billi:  I would prefer to NEVER spend the time letter writing but, geeez, what are people thinking?

Cynthia:  Our board, too, fines Realtors.  I guess that's what it takes to make some people understand what professionalism is (or should be) in our industry.

I wrote a 'funny' blog about this same situation a few months ago.  I titled it "Local Sales Person Arrested - Highlights at 11!" to help illustrate that just because you CAN figure out a way into the house if you don't have specific permission it actually is trespassing at a minimum.

It's surprising that, in the both cases, the buyer and agent weren't arrested and charged with trespassing.

The feature of the Supra boxes to record those that enter a property has come in handy when a problem arises after a showing.

Michael:  Interesting.  I never thought of the trespassing aspect.  Very, very good point.

David:  Both you and Michael immediately had the same thought.  I was a little slow on that front and only thought of it from the Board of Realtors perspective.  Good to have the additional angle and information.

Ocean View:  Didn't  even need that feature of the Supra Box because the Realtor in example #2 admitted it - clearly without realizing how unbelievably unprofessional her behavior was!

I had a particular listing last year that was vacant, but there were valid reasons that appointments were required.  The listing was clear about that, and still 40% of all agents who accessed the property did so without calling to make an appointment.

David:  I'm curious, what did you do?

If you are having those challenges in your area, make sure you put in a CBS code.  Supra and Sentrilock use them..  (Call Before Showing code)..  that way, they cannot get into the lockbox with out a code you give them once the showing is confirmed.. 

Darren:  Wow, thank you so much for that information!  I didn't know that could be done and greatly appreciate learning it!

I hearing things like this more often now.  Maybe its due to more and more agents now having other full-time jobs and being a Realtor is now secondary income. 

I have a number of REO accounts that have both Combo and MLS boxes, i have got into numberous "discussions" with Realtors about showing the house and their insistance on having the combo code (my client does not allow me to publicise nor give out the code)

we use supra as well and the CBS code is a great feature.  Another is the ability to program what times the lockbox will open.   Like no access on sundays before noon.  nobody, no way, no how

Sometimes people do not plan in advance, and want what they want when they want it, so they selfishly just plow ahead without a thought for the other people involved. Then they say something stupid like, "Well, does your Seller want to sell the house or not???"

Hi Wendy -- I routinely give the SupraKey lockbox to the sellers, with instructions to put it out when they leave, and bring it in when they are home. If anyone rings the bell without an appointment, they certainly DON'T need to let them in.

A vacant home is the only time I'll attach the keysafe to the door, a water pipe, or elsewhere.

Amen guys. This is not rocket science. Unless the showing instructions on the MLS sheet clearly say, "go right in" STAY OUT until you get permission from the listing agent. People here have been caught in bed, in the shower, etc. I know agents that put in the MLS that the home has a combo box, just so the buyers agents will call them for the code. Then they tell the agent it is an electronic box. Not quite truthful, but do you blame them? One embarassing mess up and that listing agent could get fired. Personally, if you went in one of my homes without permission and it caused my sellers or me problems, I would strongly consider taking action against you. A phone call to me is not too much to ask.

Rodney:  Thanks for your comment although I will disagree slightly in that we should not generalize unfairly.  In both cases they Realtors were full-time and, believe it or not, very experienced agents.

Andrew:  I say this tongue in cheek....but, of course, you will ignore what your sellers' want and tell the selling agent with a "wink wink".......that, too, happens all too often.

Daniel:  I was aware of the ability to program the time a home is available for showing......but clearly forgot about it.  Thank you for the timely reminder.

Wendy:

Perhaps you should look at this differently. If it's going to be hard for clients to show the home, then don't take the listing. If a woman is having a "difficult pregnancy," then it might not be appropriate to have her home on the market.

Requiring 24-hour advance notice is not a reasonable expectation of buyers agents, in my opinion. If a seller wants (or needs) to sell, the home needs to be easily accessible to buyers and their agents.

Now, the agent who loaned his key to a friend ... that is unbelievably unprofessional, and I hope there is severe punishment for their lack of respect for the rules — and common sense!

Somehow, someway the industry needs to weed these people out.  Stiffer penalties, tougher barriers to entry into the business, something!  They only make the lives of the true professionals tougher and the give a black eye to the whole industry.  Good for you Wendy to write letters of complaints about these people. If we do not point out their errors and unprofessionalism we are complicit and just compound the problem.  Best of luck to you in the future.

Pat:  So true!  Of COURSE they want to sell the home but, periodically, they need more than minimal notice to have the home ready and get out the door.

Lottie:  I may have to follow your lead on that one.

Hi John:  I can see the new Showing Instructions now...STAY OUT UNTIL YOU CALL ME.   A new and interesting twist.

Agent Aaron:  While "24 hour notice" is stiff, my seller has accomodated shorter notice whenever possible.  Sellers don't always have the luxury of selling a home when it is convenient.  In this case, they must sell now.

Jerry:  Thanks for your support.  I watch Realtors complain about unprofessionalism and, as far as I'm concerned, the only way we can clean up our industry is to speak up (or write it up).

Wendy  How frustrating! We've all been there. The CBS code is the best way to prevent this, but I find it a bit frustrating as well to maintain all the info. A less challenging option might be to secure the lock box to an electrical meter, fence post, or something else other than the front door. This will still require the showing agent to call you for the location, but allow you to go about your day without keeping up with the CBS codes.

RUNNING OUT THE DOOR TO HOLD AN OPEN HOUSE WITH NO CELL PHONE COVERAGE so I won't be able to check back for several hours to respond to (and thank you for) your comments.  I appreciate all of the feedback and good information I have received!  Back at 'ya later.

Thanks, Wendy!

Wendy, I've had this issue as well. One of my sellers wanted to file a complaint. (agent can't) Agent was from another board. Process was that 6 copies of the complaint had to be mailed to Santa Clara and then the sellers had to drive down and speak with the committee. Sellers felt that was too much of a burden. I've activated the CBS code on some of my lockboxes. You take the box to the board and they turn it on. Then, an agent can't simply get into the lockbox with their Supra Key. There is an additional step. The agent must enter the CBS code that you gave to them when they made the appointment. Some agents think it's bizarred to have the CBS code activated...but it can keep people from entering unannounced.

It's also a newly adopted code in our NAR Realtor Code of Ethics. Time to pay the piper if you get reported!!

Wendy

Well said!

Regarding Daniel's comment about the CBS code - I agree that it's a good feature however almost NO agents in my area know how to use it.  If we could get better training into the agent's hands on the feature it would be a great service.  I'm inspired to blog on this....

I am shocked at the nerve of the agents.  I would never enter without the permission of the listing agent because I know if the shoe was on the other foot I would be furious if I was not consulted.  Ultimately it is up to us to protect our clients and all agents should respect the instructions and if they don't know them then CONTACT THE AGENT OR STAY AWAY.

You've touched on one of my pet peeves.  Even when a home is vacant and on lockbox, everyone involved (listing agent, seller, etc.) is owed the courtesy of knowing when a Realtor has entered the home.  Those appointments / showings / appraisals / inspections / meetings with contractors / etc.... should be scheduled in the same way as an occupied house.  No quick stops just to measure this or that, no un-announced appraisals or inspections... It's just not right!

CBS codes can help, but in all honesty they are a pain in the behind. One more thing to either write down or try to punch in while having the phone to your ear. But they do stop this. How sad that just good plain common sense should also take care of this problem. My guess is that the first time an agent goes in and either sets off an alarm or is met with a loaded gun, he or she will never do it again. The good thing is that with the electronic  boxes we KNOW who the culprit is. Whether the agent who entered without calling or the agent who wrongly gave his keypad to an unauthorized person, you know who broke the rules. Glad you turned them in. My guess is that everyone in their office is now also following the showing instructions. Whatcha wanna bet?

Wow, Wendy, that is just plain frightening.  Basic real estate training - do not enter a property without an appointment.  Filing a complaint was the right thing to do.

Wendy, I applaude you!

Wendy:

Let me tell you a story.  Actually two.  I had a listing, here in Florida, the home had a lock box with a 24 hours notice to show.  Many realtors think down here, that short notice is o.k. since they are working with tourists.  Well...this is not a life and death situation, if your clients can't wait 24 hours, then they are not serious!  I had an agent, walk in a home without calling, just used the lock box, low and behold, it was a deputy from our Sheriff's Dept. that was the homeowner.  To the realtors suprise, he and his clients were greeted with a gun.  The owner, was on the midnight shift, and was sleeping when he heard an intruder.  Hope that agent learned his lesson.

Second:  I can not understand why our realtors association does not require a call prior to entrance.  Where I started in this business, if a call was not made and permission was not granted, a $1000.00 fine was placed on that agent.  I am all for that! 

Good post!

I like the idea of having the offenders arrested, It is clearly trespassing and I will remember this.

And this is why I use a CBS code for all of my lockboxes. I re-program them each time I add a  new listing so that the same code is used on all of my listings.  This way, I can remember it without referring to my files.  It is a good thing that you are taking time time to raise the bar in our profession.

It's also a COE violation. See SOP 3-9.

Tom

Wow!  Amazing.  I can't believe some people!  Wendy, I have to give you credit where credit if due.  You had a rant.  And rightly so.  And I want to commend you for writing it in such a professional manner.  And you handled the situation professionally, as well!  Great job!

I agree 1000 percent. I have gotten to the point where I don't even say there is a lockbox at the property on the MLS as they have to call me to show.

Back in th 90s I had my home on the market and my daughter DID come out of the shower and a fool had just entered my home. Never called. I went to his office and got into his face over that one.

I'm all about being aggressive in finding the right home for a buyer... but that must be within the bounds of not violating the seller's wishes.  Thanks for the post.

Wendy I understand your frustration. We had a huge problem here in the DC Metro with agents giving out combinations, key cards, MLS logins!! You name it. It created more work for me to track daily who's entering what listing and without scheduling through the showing service.

Most people here have dual locks with different keys or a storm door. I only put the key in the lockbox and told my sellers that during non-showtimes, to make sure to lock both locks.

Good evening Wendy,

There is no excuse for rudeness and not following the showing directions the seller instructs concerning gaining access to their home. Darren (#11) has the most sensible answer to problems. Thanks for the blog and enjoy what is left from your week-end.

For any Realtor to go inside any property without permission is trespassing. It is that simple...and they should be prosecuted. I cannot believe what happened to your sellers. In the case where she was home, the buyer is lucky he wasn't shot. I am amazed that someone would do that. The Realtor that gave his keypad to his buyer, at least a ruk1 year suspension as well as a $1,000 fine, that would be my punishment if I were king.

Hi Wendy,

If an agent here gives his key and code to a non-realtor they should be dismissed from the association and therefore never be given a key again. Not only is the agent violating association rules and ethics they are also violating the privacy and security of the homeowner.

We as REALTORS are given the privledge of being able to access other peoples homes because we have sworn to abide by the REALTORS Code of Ethics, if you violate the code then your privledges should be removed.

:)

Anthony:  I like your idea about placing the lock box somewhere OTHER THAN the front door and having agents call to find out where it is. 

Hi Vickie:  Thanks for that information, but it is a darn shame to have to resort to that don't you think?  I think the complaint process must be different for different out-of-area associations.  I, not my seller, was allowed to file the complaint....although the process was painful.

Greg:  I am getting all sorts of good information here.  Thanks for letting me know that this has been newly adopted to NAR Code of Ethics.

Joe:  Thank you!

Michael:  Blog away!  Obviously the topic resonates....send me a link when you write it, ok?

Debra:  I think these agents forgot the "protect our clients" because they wanted to make it easy for THEIR clients.  Somehow common courtesy got lost.

Barbara: I have a new listing that is vacant right now.  I just changed Lock Box to 'No" and Showing Instructions to "Call Agent".  Of course, there IS a lock box but, based on all of this good advice, I am armed to be much more saavy with my vacant listings as well as my occupied listings.

John:  Susan's comment (#37) made your point exactly!!

Kathryn and Teral:  Thank you!

Susan:  And how lucky that agent was that your seller was a police officer trained in restraint in the use of his weapon!  Who knows what would have happened if it was a frightened homeowner with less training and a gun!

Kathryn M.:  Great idea.  I like the idea of re-using the same code over again but just reprogramming the Lock Box. 

Tom and Nyssa:  Thank you!

Cameron: OMG, are you kidding?  Appalling is hardly a sufficient adjective!  I am more glad than ever that I removed the lock box from the front of my listing with a daughter at home!!

Rob:  I agree that agent's should be dilligent (your word: aggresive) about finding their client a home.....and many are.  They CALL and ask if they can get in on shorter notice.  If not, they make sure NO ONE ELSE CAN EITHER.  I totally understand that....that's doing the job.

Evelyn:  DC Metro makes my area of the world look tame by comparison.  Wow, you have to work overtime to protect the privacy and security of your sellers.

Dorie:  Thank you!

Scott and Connective Realty:  The passion of your responses equal mine when I wrote this rant.  It is unacceptable behavior and should not be treated lightly!

Not only isn't it "right"..... it's not professional.  I think if it happend to me I'd call and speak with ther agent's manager.

Patricia/Seacoast NH

Can't imagine giving my lockbox key to a client....wow. That being said, if I'm showing a home on a street and notice a sign, I might knock on the door and if I don't get an answer, let myself in. I solve these problems for my clients with the seller-controlled lockbox, so it's inside when they are home.

I connect with your 'rant'.  I always warn my clients that even though I have showing instructions, we do have some agents that won't read them and to be aware that someone might pop in unexpectedly.  As an agent, even though I read (and respect) showing instructions, I always knock and yell as I enter.

As a homeowner who will be selling my house in the next couple of years,  and as  a women who works from home,  I am appalled,  if someone entered my home without notice after my 110 pound Black Lab was through with the intruder they would be met with my wooden kitchen chair.  Then I would let the police and ambulance deal with the cleanup.

Wendy...

I have clients the get upset because I will not open a lockbox before I contact the listing agent or get showing instructions that allow anytime showings. I agree, just because a house has a lockbox does NOT give you permission to open it!

Congrats on the feature my friend. You write a great blog and I hope we see you in print more often.

Your slant in ALWAYS interesting to me, as you know!

Hi Wendy~  It is too bad we feel like we have to be like the police with our listings because a few agents just won't follow the rules!

Great post, however, I'd lke to point out that the adherence to showing instructions goes both ways and when so many are wrong, it tends to make one lax about following them.  I recently "ranted" on AR about a listing agent not having proper showing instructions in the MLS,  and then getting all irritated when I called to ask hime how to get in.  I agree we should follow the instructions, but so often, listing agents "forget" to updated their instructions, for example, require that you call, when it is indeed vacant, so you leave messages with an owner and knock on the door, entering with caution, into an empty house!  Or in my case, require you call a showing service, then "forget" to ever register the home with said showing service!

I also tend to agree with Aaron here that sellers need to understand that having their home on the market IS an inconvenience, and it's part of the territory when selling.  24 hour notice, I also think, is ridiculous, and I often end up not showing those houses, as my showings are usually a bit more spontanteous than that.   When buyers have jobs and lives, and kids, pregnancies, etc too, it is very difficult to make your way around difficult showing requirements, espeically when there are dozens of other homes to see.

All of that said, Realtors handing out their lockbox key is a dircet COE violation.  Yikes.  Some nerve.  It is too easy to become a real estate agent.

Wendy,

Thank you so much for this needed and overdue rant.

I couldn't agree with you more that unfortunately there are unethical persons but for the most part most of us do read the instructions.

I actually am seeing the very things you are talking about with a property of a friend of mine.

We have not put a lock box on the door for this very reason. She works from home and has to take care of her father with Alzheimer's and also has 3 dogs that need to be put outside.  One of the dogs is paralyzed and has no use of its hind legs so there is a need for instructions to be followed.

2 times this week we had Realtors at the door or outside calling saying they wanted to view the home.

So I have the same concerns as you and many other Realtors.

Thank you so much for your post.

You make a good point about safety as part of the showing instruction requirements.

Patricia:  I didn't get into all of the nitty-gritty details but scenario #1 was a violation of a Managing Broker.  Not kidding.

Karen:  Gotta tell ya, I am so surprised to read your comment "if I don't get an answer, I let myself in."  Please tell me you wouldn't really do that!  Again, the lock box is NOT an invitation to let yourself into someone's home WITHOUT PERMISSION AS WRITTEN IN MLS SHOWING INSTRUCTIONS.

Lynn:  That 's just not OK. We shouldn't have to "warn" sellers that people might show up unexpectedly and open their LOCKED door because they have a real estate license.

Sindee:  I am laughing.  Glad you have a 110 lb Black Lab.  My client wasn't so fortunate.

Richard:  I am very pleased to read that you WON'T DO IT even if your clients are irritated.  They would feel differently if it was their home you were entering as a stranger with no permission.

Janet:  Thanks for your comment.  Glad you're back blogging.  I have missed you!

Vickie:  So true!  It seems we always have to work 3x harder to compensate for those that conduct their work in an unprofessional manner.

Wow.  Very interesting, interesting comments as well.  It just shows how different areas can be.  Here in Maine, a violation like that WOULD be treated as trespassing as Michael mentioned.  The realtor would instantly loose his/her lockbox card key privileges, face a hefty fine from the commission and criminal charges.  24 hours notice is the norm here. Of course even people "from away" (as we call them) are moving here for our slower pace of life.  There are no "home showing emergencies."  Serious buyers take their search seriously and realize that showings must be planned.  Even our REO properties require contacting the broker first for permission to use the lockbox and enter.  We are also a much smaller and rural state.  Entering a home here unannounced could be hazardous to your health!  Hunting rifles aside, what if the seller's 100 pound watch dog (who is normally removed for showings) is still in the home when the transgressing agent enters?

Carol: 

I understand your point that some listing agents don't have appropriate Showing Instructions and get irritated when you call.  Another blog worth writing! 

Additionally, as a selling agent you are totally within your right to believe that 24 hours notice is ridiculous and REFUSE TO SHOW THE LISTING.  My sellers have been made VERY aware of that possibility.  That being said, that opinion DOESN'T ALLOW ANYONE TO DISREGARD MLS SHOWING INSTRUCTIONS and show the house anyway.

Douglas:  Thank you for sharing yet another VERY VALID reason that notice is required to show properties.  I'm sure that your seller really wants to sell her property, she simply has a more complicated situation than most.

Kristen:  It sounds like many markets could learn great lessons from Maine!

I can see both sides of it... and have skipped showing properties because of the difficulty of getting permission to get it.  BUT, even if it is difficult, that doesn't give an agent the right to just skip the rules and do as they please. 

If a Realtor wants to show a property, book a showing request! We would be embarrassed to call these so called "professionals" collegues.

You go Wendy.

How unprofessional, rude and arrogant.  Hopefully they get/got a stiff fine.  I often wonder when people do these thoughtless things how they would feel if they had a house for sale and folks just walked in on them.  We used to have a few who wouldn't hesitate to barge in on a house but since the fine has been put in place it seems to have curbed that bad behavior.

Sue of Robin and Sue

Yikes!! I for one really appreciate the sage advice. I've personally never heard of problems with unauthorized entry in the Little Rock area, but I'm sure it exists like anywhere else. Out here, where the reality is folks tend to own more than one just gun!! So, I'd also want to add that ANY KIND of unauthorized entry is trespassing by definition and without expressed consent to enter, that unaware homeowner has NO idea who or why someone is coming through their door, and the agent in this situation could find themselves unfortunately shot. It's a good practice from all aspects, but especially from a safety perspective to tell the owner to only put the lock box out when they need to leave. The last statistics I read about Realtors exiting this profession totaled 147K last year. Who's to say where all these Supra Keys go when they decide to quit the business? One can assume that there are probably a few floating around out there in the wrong hands. I for one will inform my EB about this post and suggest that she share your frustration and concern with the rest of my associate agents at our next sales meeting. Thank You!!

Your two experiences are shocking.  I have never heard of this happening, yet I'm thinking it has happened to many people.  I would also call the Board.

Wendy,

This kind of thing happens when the agent believes that his/her time and agenda supercedes that of the owner and his/her agent.  Can we spell "selfish?"

Mike in Tucson

I agree with some of the other posts that poor communication and inaccurate information comes from both listing agents and buyers agents.  HOWEVER, Wendy you are so right!  No buyer's agent should confuse their real estate license/key with a right to break the law and trespass.  I hope we all will have your courage to report these agents and improve the public perception as well as actions of our industry.

There are folks who just like to wing it. Couple that with some lazy agents who sound annoyed rather than happy to receive a call for an appointment, and you get some of the scenarios you described. 

The bottom line is that visitng a listing is a lot like visiting a friend.  You don't just pop over, unannounced.  You call first.

It is amazing what some people will do or try!

Hi Wendy,

I have been there. There was a tenant in one of my listings. We asked for 2 hours notice, as he worked from home sometime. And yet.......... I had people calling me and saying "we are in the neighborhood...." If the tenant was traveling, no problem. I think some people simply don't read agent remarks and showing instructions. One agent actually went to the condo and knocked on the door without even calling! I had to apologize to the tenant for something I didn't do. He was understanding though.

So here is my rant. :-)

Just wanted to let you know that I understand how frustrating that can be.

Giving somebody the key is beyond my understanding of the business.

Thank goodness our MLS is pretty strict.

Thanks for the post.

GOOD FOR YOU!  I'm not sure people MEAN to ignore the instructions.  It's just that they are a) to lazy to READ all the instructions or b) like your first example - they give their key out to those who don't have agent instructions access.

PR: wait...  I: wait...  L: wait...  LD: wait...  I: wait... wait...  Rank: wait...  Traffic: wait...  Price: wait...  C: wait...

I don't blame you!  Does your lockbox have the ability to record who came in and when? 

Sorry you are having such a run of inconsiderate agents -- honestly the nerve.

I don't care what the sellers circumstances are. Rules are rules and agents must follow them. Nothing wrong with a lockbox on a home that is occupied. It's called being sympathetic. Great post Wendy!

If the showing instructions doesn't fit their plans.. why show it? 

How hard is to follow simple instructions?

They are there for a reason. . 

Great Post

Thank goodness I've not had that problem. I always believe it is best to put yourselve in the other person's shoes and image how you would feel if the situation happened to you. Common courtesy should prevail.

This is another post that points out regional differences.  Here, it is NOT uncommon to see "24 hour notice."  Some might grumble about it -- but I have NEVER had the problem of a "surprise" showing.  I use both combo and electronic lockboxes.  I never lnew about the CBS code, so that's something I'm going to look into!

I have had some very dicey experiences with daytime sleepers.

The listing agent almost always gets blamed.

There are rules called "showing instructions" that should be explicitly written in the MLS listing. They need to be followed in order for the entire lockbox process to work, otherwise we will have chaos.

We have a showing service that eliminates a lot of those problems but we still see agent that cannot follow instructions.

It is called "trespassing." It also is extremely unkind to the seller for reasons beyond inconsideration, since most people are liable for what happens on their property. What if the would-be buyer got hurt or slipped and fell while in the house? 

One of my pet peeves is that you give the lockbox out to an agent and then you find a card in the vacant house from another agent in their office who never called and asked for permission to be in the house.  One thing I do is change the code at the end of each week so that agents aren't giving it out to other agents in their office.

Laurie

So much for security for your clients, which is the purpose of the Electronic Lock boxes. Glad you reported them, did more happen than the agent having to write a letter, this is scary and a complete violation.

Wendy, it is common courtesy to call first and confirm the showing instructions. Thanks.

A lot of the time I mark keybox as a 'No'.  To show call listing agent.  Then I tell them there is a keybox.  With cell phone access today it is very rare that someone would call and not be able to get me.

Also, I never show a house without talking to the agent no matter what instructions have been given.  I want to make sure the house is still available before spending my time and the buyer's time showing it.  Why waste time and gas and have a buyer like a house that is no longer available??

Lane: My point exactly. If you don't like my sellers' Showing Instructions, then don't show it.  Disagreeing with the Showing Instructions doesn't give any Realtor the right to disregard them. Many Realtors have called and asked if there is any way to see the property with less than 24 hours notice.  We accomodated them whenever possible.....but they called.

Larry:  Thanks.

Bridget:  Sounds like the common occurence of guns at home is a deterrent in your market.  Guess I need to put a sign "protected by Smith and Wesson (sp?)" just above the lock box.

Robin and Sue:  I'm not certain if this particular transgression results in a fine.  It is a COE violation and must go through that process. 

Mike:  Spell Selfish, Inconsiderate and Unprofessional.

Home Jobs:  Thank you.

Bob and Carolyn: I hope "the run" ends soon.

Jackie: Thank you.

Fernando:  Exactly.

Bernadine:  It would be great if common courtesy DID prevail. 

Richard:  24 hour notice isn't common practice here but it isn't unheard of either.  I was glad to learn of the CBS code.

Corie:  Could you imagine trying to sell your home if you were a daytime sleeper and Realtors felt comfortable walking in if you didn't answer the knock on the door?  Oooh, that would be one angry seller!

Claudette:  Showing Instructions on MLS is there for many reasons...."avoid chaos" is the best overall summary.

Michael:  I've heard about "showing services" in many areas.  We don't have one.

J. Phillip:  To be honest, until the comments on this blog, I hadn't considered the Trespassing angle so I'm sure these less-than-professional agents haven't thought of that either.

Laurie:  As I was thinking about the CBS codes, I wondered if sharing the code between Realtors might be a problem.  Sounds like giving the lock box to the sellers and having them put it out when appropriate contact has been made is the easiest solution.

Missy:  I never learned the outcome of transgression #1 because the Realtor was from a different MLS and Board.

Michael:  I wish that were true....but it is beginning to appear that courtesy isn't all that common after all.

Barbara:  I like that idea.

Michael:  I think we as Realtors are so accustomed to showing homes that some among us forget that it is still the seller's home, where they live and forget that the purpose of Showing Instructions is to allow them to maintain some semblence of normalcy while trying to sell their home.

Thanks, Wendy!

Good to know you're reporting this.  Truthfully, not reporting this kind of behavior makes us just as guilty as the ones violating showing intructions.  Great post!

James

This post is the other side of the "listing agent will not return calls" coin.  (Of course, I am not saying that you didn't return calls or that these particular instances are excusable). 

What I am saying is that perhaps when working with buyers, agents get so used to being ignored by listing agents that they get a little desperate and take matters into their own hands, which sometimes results in unpleasantness for sellers.

I was recently working with a relocating buyer, we were looking at homes EVERYDAY for about 5 days.  I would call listing agents about 12-24 hrs in advance and would still be waiting on calls to be returned 24-36 hours later.

Could it be that if we all did a better job of COOPERATING, then things would be smoother for everyone?

James:  Thanks.  While it's not my nature to be a tattle-tale, I couldn't let these go un-recognized as poor conduct.

Jenna:  I totally agree with you.  I have buyers as well as listings and get just as frustrated as everyone else when the listing agent won't return phone calls.  I have even resorted to call the office Broker when I can't get a return call.  However, if I don't get a response, I simply don't show the home. It would never cross my mind to take my buyers through without permission unless the Showing Instructions say, "Leave message and go."  Bad news for the seller who has a non-responsive listing agent.

I love alarms.

Wendy, those Realtors ought to be booted out of the business. Giving the key to the buyer? Unbelievable!!

Bad! As a Realtors, we cannot cross that threshold. A sellers privacy should be respected and I would not want to violate that trust.

Hi Wendy -- Good for you, I would do likewise.  A buyer's agent with buyers in tow once showed one of my listings, showed up an hour before the allotted window and caught the homeowner walking into the foyer in nothing but her birthday suit -- can you imagine the horror of the homeowner?  I would love for this GE ebox to be smarter and to only allow the agent's keypad to work when a showing is approved, and furthermore, to only work within the allotted agreed to time frame, and put the onus on the agent to get a window changed if needed.  That is the one disadvantage of this.

I also had another agent do the exact same thing, my sellers felt very violated.

Wendy,

We don't have this problem in our area.  I did learn something new about the CBS code and may use it in certain circumstances.Thanks for the valuable post.  Murphy's law says that those that you are trying to reach will be the ones who won't be reading this.  For most of us, you are preaching to the choir.  I would be filing a complaint quicker than the blink of an eye.  Thanks for the post.

The rules are simple and if you can't follw them, then you should turn in your license.  Fortunately I have never had any issues

Wendy -- I would have been just as furious as you and have done whatever it took to make sure the offending agent was reprimanded.  I give specific instructions according to my seller's wishes.  If someone does not follow them purposely, or think they have access anytime (without confirmed appt. ) if an electronic locbox is used,  then they are in serious trouble.  

having a lock bos on a listing is not permission to go in any time you feel like it.  I am sure this is more common as most agents do not check the lock box access report.

WOW so many violations..........I would call the police seriously I think I would.  Trespassing or unauthorized entry!!

So unprofessionial!

Wendy -

Boundaries are important with lock boxes, and it amazing how many agents violate them.

One thing I always do - do not put the lockbox code on automated instructions - make sure they calll YOU or your assistant to scheudle, and give them the code after advising them of restrictions.

If you use the electronic SUPRA or Sentrilock boxes, don't advertise that fact in the MLS - reveal that when they call your Team to schedule.  Use the online system to track problem showings.  If you can, restrict showing times electroncally when apprpropriate.

Or, have your clients lock their storm door when showings have not been confirmed.

Many ways around potential problems here, in my opinion.

DEAN MOSS & DEAN'S TEAM CHICAGO

Crazy, just walking in on a homeowner is shocking.I got a call on Sunday from an agent asking for a lockbox code as she was not with a company. When I looked her up I couldn't find any record of her.

How unprofessional to to give a client his lockbox key - and dangerous.  This may have been a friend that he gave it to but even so - when his code gets entered in the keybox he could be liable for any damage that might be caused to the home. 

Most of the REO properties in our market use combo lockboxes.  I was helping a friend pick out a forclosure last year.  He repeatedly called me and asked me to find out the combo for him so that he could "just go take a peek".   He didn't want to wait for me to be available (which was usually less than 24 hours).  I told him no - repeatedly.  He told me that he was surprised that I didn't trust him.   I eventually dropped him as a client.   Almost 12 months later he has still not purchased a foreclosure.  We still chat, socially but I don't discuss RE with him.

Wendy - I've now posted my blog about how to use a Call Before Showing (CBS) code.  FYI.

Why is common sense so uncommon anymore? unfortunately there are those sellers who will blame their own realtor for these issues...sounds like you've got a good handle on it

I know one of the hottest topics on AR has been the ease of entry into the real estate field. I'm not gonna go there, but is there a way we could at the very least weed out people with zero common sense??

You make a good point.  I've actually had buyers and agents drop in to see homes at late times (after 8PM) or during holidays without calling first.  The usual excuse is "do you want to sell the home?" 

Wendy, good for you for being pro-active! A seller may need and want to sell their home, but sheesh, they still have to live it and should have peace of mind that some stranger isn't going to come barging in unannounced!

Wendy thanks for the post.  Just to add to it, my office had an incident where the appointment was made, but the Realtor and his buyers were two hours late.  They went in and the owner was in the shower! Needless to say, the homeowner was furious!  If you are running late, please, please call the listing office and re-schedule!

Kristen:  Funny!  But just think, if the realtor can't read MLS Showing Instructions they probably won't have the code to deactivate the alarm either.......and will skitter off in embarrassment, leaving the homeowner to deal with it.

Gary:  I agree.  Not sure how ANYONE misunderstands the trust inherent in a SupraKey to view homes.

Nogui:  So true.

Chris:  I would be horrified and seriously pissed off if someone showed up an hour early, catching me in  my birthday suit.  Yikes!

Jim and Linda:  You are right that I am "preaching to the choir" to those that commented but, who knows, perhaps some of the 940 who have read the blog and didn't comment had their eyes opened.

Barbara and Scott:  I think what amazed me the most on issue #2 is that I didn't even need to check the access report to figure out who the agent was.  She admitted it, clearly without a single thought as to how unprofessional her actions were!

Dean:  Thanks for the great suggestions.

David:  Someone asked for a lockbox code who is not an active Realtor?  Well THAT's a new one on the BOLD front.

Rick:  Glad to hear that you stuck to your guns.  Too bad your buyer didn't realize how furious he would be if the shoe was on the other foot.  Sounds like a client worth losing.

Michael:  Thanks for the blog on CBS codes!

Brian:  Thanks.

Eric:  Guess we don't need an IQ test but a Common Sense test. Smile.

Bryan:  I HATE that stupid question, "Do you want to sell the home?" as though putting your home for sale requires you to allow unscheduled intrusion any time day or night or you're just "not motivated". 

Roberta:  I agree wholeheartedly!

Shawna:  Yours is the third example of a homeowner interrupted either in the shower or getting out of the shower because Realtors didn't show up at the appointed time.  Amazing.

The friendly realtor who let his friend borrow his key would have faced a $5,000 fine in my Association.

I had my own rehabbed property listed, with a supra box and a combo box for vendors. A realtor call me once and asked if I would show the home to his client because he didn't have time to get there. I said no, I wasn't available.

Then he said, well you probably have a vendor box, how about giving me the combo so she can go see it herself. The answer was no again.

Damon:  That would definitely make the point!  Think I will share the $$ amount of that fine with my association.

Bill:  That's another occurence that happens too often, the "I'm too busy to do my job.  Will you do it for me?" Realtor.