Hitting the Buyer’s Agent Panic Button
“Real estate — and to a lesser extent, life — is all about perseverance. Things go wrong. Keys get lost. Deals fall through. Keys get misplaced. Uhh . . . a lot of it has to do with keys.”
–Phil Dunphy; “Modern Family” sitcom
What’s the difference between a lockbox malfunction and a smart key malfunction? (a smart key is what Realtors use to open electronic lockboxes).
When a lockbox won’t open — or is missing a key — you can’t get into one “For Sale” house.
When your smart key isn’t working . . . you can’t get into any homes (or at least, ones with electronic lockboxes on them).
Which means your clients can’t get into any homes.
The options then are: a) figure out how to get your smart key working, fast; b) borrow another Realtor’s smart key temporarily; or c) scrub what could easily be half a dozen or more confirmed showings over the next several hours (and presumably, reschedule them another time, after much hassle and inconvenience).
“Option A”
Fortunately, in my case earlier today, the solution turned out to be “Option A,” with an assist from my tech-savvy thirteen year old son.
It turns out that my new iPhone case has a protective bumper around it that’s just thick enough to prevent the smart key fob from fully connecting to the phone.
The fix?
Temporarily removing the case — following instructions relayed remotely from said 13 year-old.
Corollary: it’s always a good idea to update your smart key and test it well before meeting clients.
See also: “More Phil Dunphy-ism’s”; and “Perils of Real Estate Marketing.”
