An important key to selling your home!

I just received a text message in response to a showing request I made for a property, that the agent needs to reach out to the owner or have the owner contact me because keys for the home are in THE OWNER'S LOCKBOX, so he (1)wants to know of showings and (2)she doesn't know (yet) the lockbox combination. Agents hate those lockboxes when it is dark, the lockbox numbers are sticky from humidity, tough to turn from the rain or frozen from the weather. Really, to encourage agent showings, keys should be in Sentrilocks at the homes. I do understand combination locks after homes are under contract so people cannot just go into the home any time. I just can’t understand how one loses such control of his/her listing, unless, giving the benefit of the doubt, the seller is very difficult and controlling, in which case an agent has to weigh the positives and negatives of taking the listing. The last thing you want to do is make a home hard to show. You want it to be easily accessible. Yes, I understand security. However, a ‘Sentrilock’ records when agents visits homes. I don't love show by appointments, which are also listing deterrents, but that is the cost of a home being owner or tenant occupied when it is on the market. Not a great move by sellers, but agents have to deal with the hands they are given when listing properties. The bottom line is if an agent chooses (or his/her client insists) to use a combination lock and I understand there may be good reasons, then there is no way the agent shouldn't have that combination number written down/saved on the listing papers. Hopefully I am able to get the combination in a timely manner, while my client is still interested in this home, rather than annoyed that it isn't so accessible and hopefully this agent writes the combination down in her listing notes. If you or someone you know is thinking of selling in Metro DC, now is a great time! Yesterday interest rates went below 3.50% after being up for 3 weeks. For a free no hassle pre-market consultation, contact me today! I look forward to working hard for you and producing sold results! Adam: (301)943-4370 adambashein@mris.com www.basheinhomes.info Adam Bashein Licensed in MD & DC Weichert Realtors (301)718-4100 – ask for Adam