We can all use a smile from time to time. Here’s blog post about embarrassing situations for realtors. These situations can happen anytime. But most embarrassing moments happen when a realtor is working with a client. When with a client a realtor is on stage, anything you do is seen. These embarrassing situations I have personally experience at least once during my long career, few of these more than once.
Can’t get into the house!
The first embarrassing situation, is not being able to get into the house. The key simply will not unlock the door. This is something that as a realtor our clients count on, is our ability to provide them with access to the house. When we can’t it is embarrassing and we feel a bit stupid. But sometimes it is not as easy as it seems. When this has happened to me I have been known to ask my client if they can get the key to open the door. Often times they can. That only adds to my embarrassment, but at least we get into the house.
Where is the lockbox?
The next embarrassing situation is not being able to find the lockbox, where the key is stored. Agents are provided with showing instructions, but sometimes instructions the instructions do not mention the location of the lockbox. As the agent, you look on the door, the gas meter and all of the other places you usually find the lock box and you cannot find it. Then what often happens to me is my client finds it some place that I did not look. Guess what, this is another embarrassing moment.
Where is the key?
The agent and client have just finished looking at the property. They are all ready to leave. Everyone gets to the front door and the key is missing. The agent has no idea what happened to the key and they cannot leave until it is found. It is not in their hand or pocket or on the floor by the door or even in the lock of the door. Everyone is walking all over the house looking trying to find it so that the key can be put back in the lockbox and all can leave. This is one sure fire way to feel very embarrassed and to have another one of those embarrassing situations. Hopefully no one will ask, “Where was the last place that you saw the key.”
The cat got out!
Another embarrassing situation can also occur while out showing property. As the agent you are provided with showing instructions that there is an animal in the house that must stay inside. That animal that you were suppose to make sure stayed inside the house escapes outside. This is an embarrassing moment that has huge implications for you, the owner of the pet and the pet. Imagine chasing the animal, that escaped, all over the backyard, in the snow before you corner it and grab it to take back into the house. This was no laughing matter. The animal is stressed, very unhappy and trying to lash out at you. Once the escapee is back in the house we can all smile. Oh what a wonderful embarrassing situation.
Getting lost
Getting lost while out showing property is certainly an embarrassing situation for a realtor. Imagine following your realtor around while looking at property and they cannot find the property. This happened much more frequently before GPS, but can still happen today. GPS can give wrong directions, there is a lack of satellite service or getting distracted and missing a turn and lead to being lost. Clients often feel like we should know the location of every street and every house. When the realtor gets lost it is an embarrassing situation because we know the expectations that our clients have.
We have all been in embarrassing situations. Realtors are no different. I hope hearing about realtor’s embarrassing situations have brought you a smile. Now, I am checking a map to make sure I know where the houses are located I am showing this afternoon. No getting lost for me. Now, where did I put that key?