I recently listed my personal home and didn't have it on lockbox, due to my home office and children. I did state in the notes section of the listing EZ access w/24 hr notice.

I had a local agent call me one day and was pretty insistent that she show my home that very same day to her MD clients that were relocating. This agent said that my home was in the top 3 of their picks from looking at the listing and they would be making a decision within 24 hrs of viewing the home. I told the agent that I had several appts. already scheduled and would not be at my home until late afternoon and it would be better if she showed the home the next morning. Again the home was not on lock box and I would make it available in less than 24 hrs as stated in the listing.

The agent not only called me back and left me 2 messages, asking to please let her have access to the home, she got her partner to call me and persuade/almost beg, to find a way for them to access my home within 1 1/2 hours! By this point I was stressed out and trying to rearrange the rest of my day...needless to say I was a good drive away!

With major persuasion behind their calls, I cancelled my appointments and rushed home to "straighten up" and open up the home for them to view.

Later that afternoon (2-3 hrs after the showing), I followed up with the agent to see how things went. She said they loved the home, it was in the "running" and asked for some additional info on the property and the Seller's disclosure to be faxed to her. I promptly (w/i 30 min) faxed her the requested info and followed up w/a call to make sure she received it. She confirmed receipt and said she would "know something" that same evening or the next morning and she'd be in touch. At this point I felt pretty confident an offer was on it's way

The evening rolled around and the next morning came and went. I call her mid afternoon and this was her response "I'm in the middle of something right now, I'll have to call you back" and she hung up!! I called her late that afternoon and she did not answer. I followed up the very next morning, only to receive her voice mail and I left her a message requesting the courtesy of a call (I wanted feedback if nothing more). This same agent presented an offer on another home w/i 2 days of showing my home...the house her clients bought was next door to my colleagues listing! I not upset that her clients purchased another home, they found what they wanted and the agent got a sale. My home is in the luxury market and I don't expect it to sell overnight.

That was 2 mos ago and I've not heard from her again. I know our paths will cross again; we work the same market and I sold her partners listing about 5 mos ago.

Given the fact that she was SO very insistent on gaining access to my home and persuading me to make the home accessible for her within such short notice (she knew that I had several appts. which I cancelled and I could have potentially lost business) , don't you guys think this was way out of line and plain RUDE?

You have no idea what I wanted to say to her and I'm glad that a couple of mos. has gone by.

In your opinion do you think it's too late to send her an email, briefly pointing out her lack of manners?

Feedback appreciated.
Meli220
http://www.MelissaWhite.com

It's rude but I probably wouldn't say anything. She may have another buyer someday for one of your listings.

On listings with Sellers that don't want lockboxes, I will frequently hide a combination lockbox, in case some situation arises like that, then I can give them the code and don't have to put myself out running across town in rush hour.

It's way too late to send her an email; beyond that she found her buyers a home and has probably spent that commission already.

You are going to learn as you go along that THERE IS NO ETHICS in this business whatever you read in the CODE OF ETHICS and whatever you read on this page.

Realtyeyes

Yep just let it go, no point in upsetting the other agent, she might remember that and your next listing ends up in the bottom of the pile.

Just let it go. You waited too long to address the behavior. She knows she is inconsiderate and I bet you are not the only agent to have learned this fact. I would have sent the e-mail within a couple of weeks.
I would be willing to bet she has heard everything you would have said to her and I seriously doubt she would not show a future listing because someone said something bad about her!

It is sad to say that poor service to both Buyers, Sellers and other agents is everywhere in our industry.

Those of us that are professional agents respect our clients and those whom we deal with in the market place including (and especially) other agents - if we don't we then end up with a bad reputation and our business suffers

Just as her business will, even if it is only when you come to deal with her again

For now, Drop it but never forget it.
Keep your chin up though - not all agents are like that

I can't see anything unusual about this kind of behavior. It is common. Clients can be very demanding and the agent wants to be accomodating.

Michelle, I understand your retionale for not having a lockbox and yes the agent was rude, but I think you should find a solution for needing the 24 hours notice.

Frankly when I see that in MLS listings I just move on to the next one unless that particular home is just sooo perfect. WHY? Because I see it as a hassle. When I call to see a house for sale, all I want to hear is Yes, come on by in 2 hours, etc.

Something similar just happened. I have a very motivated buyer for a home where the agent says the buyer is motivated. However twice when I have called, "No not today, it is mahjong day." or No, today is bridge day.

I was like forgedaboutit. Who wants to be bothered with that?

Perhaps you can remove the lockbox in the evening or when you are at home and replace it when you leave. The agents still have to schedule showings and you still have to leave your home show ready everytime you leave, however agents can still have access without the hassle for you.

Michelle,

I agree with ReallyReal. Placing restrictions on showings (no lockbox, advance notice) is something I won't "allow" my seller clients to do and would never do it to myself. Being on the market is inconvenient - it just is. But the easier it is to show your house, the sooner the inconvenience will be over, hopefully.

I don't think the other agent was rude in the beginning. Her clients wanted to see the home and were probably pressuring her to keep after you. She was just doing her job. Not following up was probably simple laziness and disorganization. Which, yeah, can also be called rude!

I hate to say this! "It`s not Rude at all". This agent was doing her job for her clients!.
She was attempting to sell you`re listing.

Why do you feel she owes you an explanation?

I'll agree with others and say: let it go.. Don't burn any bridges.. you never know when you will have to work with her again. She was not rude in the beginning, but should have followed up with you after the showing.

I had a very similar situation last year. I was listing my own personal condo for sale, something I will never do again. An agent called me for a second showing, but wanted to show it in less than an house. Normally this wouldn't be a problem but my wife was home with our one month old daughter. Not the best timing but we sucked it up and the showing took place. The buyers were almost giddy at the showing talking about how much they loved it. The agent tells me she'll get back to me later that day. Of course I didn't hear from her I made several follow-up calls and sent e-mails to her looking for feedback. She just plain never responded. My first instinct was to call her and rip her a new one. My calmer self prevailed and I let it go. I finally sold my condo and moved one town over. I joined a new local gym and guess what I see her all the time. She can't look me in the eye. She knows she should have given me the courtesy of a call or e-mail. That's all fine. It's a small world in our business. I know what she's like and will have no problem doing business with her in the future. You live and learn..

i dont want this to sound mean but if i were teh buyers agent i dont care where you are i just care that my client cant see a house that they might buy.

2 weeks ago i had a client pick 5 houses in a neighborhood and i showed them all to him. he is very fast just walks in through the rooms and then leaves. he saw 4 because the key was missing in one of them. he did not want to go back to the house. he has a ratified contract on one of hte 4 houses that he did see.

my point is that the agent might have had reasons to want to show your home over the others(therefore the badgering), adn knew it was a great fit, but because you made it hard for her and her client they gave up on you.

i demand only a courtesy call from the showing service to get the seller out of hte house on my listings. if a potential buyer cant see the property how can they buy it?

some people around here look for homes on hteir lunch breaks. the last 2 buyers i had did that.

i would reccomend a lockbox and a showing service.
good luck and let us know how it goes:-)

Let it go. It is not worth even a e-mail at this point, you will just come off as a complaining pain in the butt.

If you use the Supra boxes ... set yours up with a CBS code (Call Before Showing) then you can leave it up and noone can access it unless/until you give them a code for it.