For years now my Mom has encouraged me to write a book about my adventures in real estate. For some reason, I have some of the most “interesting” experiences. So, this is the beginning of a new series of adventures in Hampton Roads real estate. Please note I will not be disclosing any specific information about the persons or locations in any of my stories.
This particular adventure starts at a pre-listing appointment to assess the condition and amenities in order to assess the true value of the property. I sit down at the dining room table with Mr. and Mrs. Seller on each side of me. Humm? First Mrs. Seller informs me they are divorcing and says “you tell Mr. Seller he has to clean out the garage” then on the right I hear “you tell Mrs. Seller to get her shoes out of the closets”, and on we go. So, we decide to sign the listing documents necessary to market the home. As I leave I install the lock box and place the sign in the front yard. As I drive back to the office to turn in the listing documents, I wonder if all communications will be the way the pre-listing appointment was.
A couple of days go by, and we have a few showings by other agents without incident. I receive a call from a prospective buyer who is not working with an agent and informs me that they are interested in seeing my new listing. Of course, I’m delighted to show them the property, so I proceed with notifying the Mr. Seller who is the one living in the home. Our agreement was, “leave a message and go show”, so I leave a message and coordinate a time to show the home to the buyers. I arrive a bit early to find Mr. Seller’s car is not home. Shortly thereafter, the buyers arrive and we approach the home. I ring the doorbell as I am accessing the lock box. I unlock the door and as I open the door, I call out “hello, anyone home?” No answer, so I begin to show the home and demonstrate its features. We walk through the living room, the dining room and family room. As we make our way down the hall, I open the first door on the right. There before my eyes was my wet Mr. Seller in the “full monty” for all to see. He yells, I scream and slam the door, the buyers run out and I can’t get the front door shut fast enough.
Needless to say, I never heard back from the buyers again. We did however, get the home sold and at the closing table, I struggled to look him in the eye. I couldn’t get the vision out of my mind!
Moral of the story, if you’re showing homes, continuously call out to the owners as you enter different rooms or floors. Prepare you sellers for showings; tell them to LOCK the bathroom door if their home is on the market.
