Lock box turns me into James Bond

A couple of weeks ago I published Just say no to a lock box.

This week I had several experiences with lock boxes, all of which confirmed and reinforced my previous comments and advice to sellers – do not agree to having a lock box installed!

This week’s misadventures included:
– dealing with the alarm company after I took too long to find the code in the emailed instructions
– walking into a house which had no lights on and having my buyers say “it’s so dark it feels like the middle of the night”
– having to call a listing office to get instructions (not provided to me in advance) on how to open the lock box (see below)
– being expected to provide a written response to a questionnaire after the showing so that the listing agent could send it to the seller
– trying to reach the listing agent while at the house to ask questions which she would have been able to answer had she been present

How I became James Bond

Standing at the front door, trying to figure out how the lock box worked as my buyers drove up to the house, had me imagining I was James Bond trying to defuse a bomb before it went off.
The instructions for opening the alphabet lock box – given to me over the phone as I was standing at the door – were on the lines of : turn anticlockwise through the complete alphabet x times and then stop at the first letter; now turn clockwise through the complete alphabet y times and then stop at the second letter; go directly to the third letter.
Miraculously, it worked. Or more accurately, my buyer had arrived by the time I had failed a couple of times and he managed to make it work.

But seriously, if you are a seller why would you possibly agree to having a lock box on your house? I have yet to come up with one reason. So you know that if you list with me I shall be present at every showing*. You are paying an agent handsomely for selling your house. Shouldn’t he/she at least show up?

*If for some extraordinary reason I am not available, your house will be shown by another Harborside Sotheby’s International Realty agent who is familiar with the property and can answer a buyer’s questions.

If you – or somebody you know – are considering buying or selling a home and have questions about the market and/or current home prices, feel free to contact me on 617.834.8205 or [email protected].

Read Which broker should sell my house?

Andrew Oliver is a Realtor with Harborside Sotheby’s International Realty. Each Office Is Independently Owned and Operated

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