Agent-to-Agent Closing Courtesy While the Seller is busy passing house keys, garage door openers, etc. to the Buyer at closing, the Buyer’s agent often is transferring something to the listing agent, representing the Seller: the listing agent’s lockbox (no, the correct answer isn’t, “a flask of whiskey”). As a courtesy, Buyers’ agents will often ask...Read More
What’s the Listing Agent’s Defense If There’s a Security Issue? If you had a briefcase — does anyone anymore?? — you probably wouldn’t walk around with the latch code set to “0-0-0-0” (the factory setting). So, it’s always a bit of a head scratcher as a Buyer’s agent to request a home showing, then receive...Read More
The Key-Less (Clueless?) Realtor There may be a good explanation why a full-time, professional Realtor doesn’t have a smart key . . . but I don’t know what it is. For the uninitiated, a lockbox is how Buyers’ agents access an MLS-listed, “For Sale” property. While there are two kinds of lockboxes — electronic and manual...Read More
Is Anyone Home? Anyone?? As I’ve noted from time to time, For Sale By Owners (“FSBO’s”) are prone to multiple mistakes, any one of which can easily negate (or worse) any money such Sellers hope to save on commission. See, “FSBO Mistake #1 (and #2, #3, etc.)”; “FSBO Mistake #4“; “FSBO Mistake #37.” Along with the...Read More
Lazy Realtor Marketing, or “Thanks for Nothing” Question: what do you call an unhosted home on the Broker Tour (in the Twin Cities, held every Tuesday between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.)? Answer: a listed home for sale — no different than any of the other 15,000 or so properties currently for sale in the...Read More
“They’ll Never Guess THAT One!” Which of the following do you suppose are a bad idea for a lockbox combination, to access a “For Sale” home? A. The home’s street address. B. “A-B-C-D.” C. “1-2-3-4.” D. The Realtor’s initials. E. The initials of the Realtor’s significant other. Correct answer: credit given for all of the...Read More
