There's a very long thread in the BPO/Foreclosures forum about Stupid MLS comments and BPO order instructions. I know we had a similar thread started here a while ago...thought it would be fun to start up another one. This isn't limited to MLS comments.

The other day I called to show a home. The MLS comments said it was "VACANT, EASY SHOW, ELECTRONIC LOCK BOX. Courtesy Call Requested." OK, fine. I called the office and was told that the house had tenants in it and I couldn't show it that day.

I said to the receptionist "Oh, OK - well you might want to fix the MLS. It says it's vacant."

She said "It IS vacant. They just rented it out for the summer."


Then it's not vacant, is it?

I locked my car keys and MLS key inside the house I had held open that afternoon. It was a 45 minutes in the hot sun, waiting on the front steps for another Realtor to come rescue me - boy, was my face red - both literally and figuratively, afterwards.

My car's transmission went on at the end of my buyer's tour. Had to bum a ride from my new client and I live 25 minutes across town from where we were/he lived.

Answered the phone once when I was finishing a Popsicle - my tongue was frozen and I sounded like I had a stroke or was drunk or something like that.

I showed the wrong house once. It wasn't for sale.

LOL - Artiste, I did that once too - locked not only my keys in the house but the electronic lockbox key in the house. Thank God I had my cell phone in my pocket.

Paceryder - how did you get in? LOL! That's funny!

"Every Lining has a Silver Cloud" I was once in a retail area about 25 miles from the Office; and locked my keys in the car. I called a Broker at a competing Agency nearby for help and Roasmary appeared less than 10 minutes later, gave me the keys to her new Grand Cherokee Jeep and asked only that I drop her off at her Office before I took off in her vehicle and to retrieve an extra set of keys, which consumed at least an hour.

It would have been a "non-event" except I cannot forget her spontaneous graciousness, and I'm glad now that it happened. It's comforting to know that you have Friends you can count on. Never burn bridges with your Competitors. These Buyers ansd Sellers will come and go; but your fellow Brokers are going to be there for the long run. I love my Competition . . . . (well, most of them, anyway).

I only dislike the nasty competition - the ones who are jerks. Everyone else is cool.

About 10 years ago I had clients that made an offer on a home...wasn't a low ball offer by any means but it was certainly not full price and the listing agent wasn't much help in getting information that I had requested.
Anyway, After dropping off the offer at the listing agents office my clients decided that they wanted to look at the home again. The home was a full time residence and the homeowner (single person) was not at home (working)so we took a look.
As were were looking at the home the phone rang...nobody was there so eventually the answering machine came on and the listing agent started talking (we were standing right beside the answering machine)...the listing agent started saying that she had a really, really, low offer and that we were asking for a bunch if items for free and that the selling Realtor (me) was being a total a$$ (a total lie)and that if the cheap buyers didn't want to pay what the seller was asking why did they even look at the home. It gets longer and more complicated from here but my buyers didn't buy this home.
I was the hot shot rookie and the listing agent was a veteran top producer at the time and we have since became friends and still get a laugh about it. One thing I learned is to NEVER leave a detailed message on an answering machine 'cause you never know who is listening to it.

OMG!!!! That's classic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks Summers - that's like being the proverbial "Fly on the Wall" !

For me, leaving too much information in a message usually results in the call not being returned . . . . so these days, I'm inclined to only leave skeletal messages that include just enough "bait" to get them (anyone) to call back and actually "speak" with me. This allows me to confirm that not only did they get the message . . . . but that they understood the message and will not be "Going off Half-Cocked".

That is a funny story Summer, a real jaw dropper.

Early in my career I returned home from showing another agent's listing and found the key to the house in my shirt pocket. It was dinner time and traffic was still terrible. I returned it, about 35 minutes each way-kicking myself along the way. I think it was at that time I developed the system whereby I leave the key in the lock during showings.

I almost always leave the key in the lock...exception being above example...lol.

BUT THE...then you have a "helpful customer" who takes it out and lays it on the kitchen counter for you, because you "forgot it." Dear God. That happened once and I didn't notice until AFTER I pulled the LOCKED door shut, and said "Where is the key???!!!"

"Oh, I took it out and put it on the kitchen counter so you wouldn't forget it!"

Wasn't THAT helpful??!!! I felt like a maroon (sic) when I called the listing agent to tell them of the mishap!

The only thing Ive done was lock myself in the garage at one of my listing. It had one of those doors that you can open from the inside when its locked but not from the outside. I thought it was unlocked and didn't think twice. It was also one of the doors that closes on its own. After I opened the big garage door I thought I better check all the doors to make sure I'm locked out for good before I call the owner and tell him how stupid I am. Luckily the side door was open and I didn't have to call the owner.

I had a property with a security system in place. I botched it when I entered the code and set off the alarms...this during a showing of course. The siren could be heard for blocks. Most embarrassing.

I ALWAYS keep the key in my HAND while walking around with the clients. I have been locked out before- only once- but once was enough. Luckily my client was cool and climbed in an open window for me.

Once a long time ago I was showing property to a friend in the middle of the day- and one property we looked at had 'call first then use lockbox' instructions- so that's what we did. We got there, I rang the doorbell and knocked (just in case). We went in, the small dog in the back yard was barking its head off the entire time- like at least 5 minutes. We were in the back yard, the entire living area of the house conversating the entire time. So when it came time to enter the master bedroom the door was about half-shut, so I opened it and walked in only to find a guy IN HIS UNDERWEAR SOUND ASLEEP!. We backed out of the room and RAN out of the house. When we got in my car we were laughing so hard we had to sit there for a few minutes so we could both compose ourselves. He didn't buy that house. I am really glad it was someone who was a friend- made the situation much easier.

I walked in on a woman while showing a home I was assured was vacant as the listing agent said the seller was on vacation. Her friend, who was house sitting, was in the bedroom playing with a large "toy" collection. I said sorry, closed the door, and went to find my client. The woman came downstairs laughing her butt off, still half naked. Classic.