So, our house has been up for sale for a couple of weeks now, and we’ve been pretty lucky with lots of showings and interest pouring in. We moved out about a month ago but are still hanging around the neighborhood. This week alone, we’ve had four showings, the latest one just happening earlier today. But let me tell you, when that agent arrived, things were a mess. The lockbox still had the code in it, the thermostat was off, and to top it all off, the back door was wide open. The agent and their clients didn’t even bother to check out the house – they just left. Can you believe it?
Our agent gave us the scoop that the previous agent who showed the house admitted to handing the lockbox key to their clients and letting them wander around the house without supervision for a second time. I’m fuming. If we hadn’t scheduled that showing today, our house could have been left wide open and unattended until who knows when. And to make matters worse, there’s a snowstorm in the forecast (well, it’s the South, so who knows if it’ll actually happen). I’m feeling really anxious about this – we had some issues with squatters in the neighborhood not too long ago, and it was a nightmare to get rid of them. Plus, there are quite a few homeless folks who pass by the house regularly. It’s a real safety concern, you know?
I’m starting to wonder, can just anyone walk in and view a house without a realtor? It’s got me thinking about what we can do to prevent this kind of situation from happening again. It’s unnerving to think that our home, our safe haven, could be left vulnerable like that. I mean, we’ve put so much effort into staging and presenting the house in the best possible light, and then something like this happens. It’s frustrating, to say the least.
I guess the silver lining in all of this is that we now know to keep a closer eye on who’s entering our home for showings. We’ll definitely be having a chat with our agent about tightening up security measures and making sure this kind of thing doesn’t happen again. It’s a learning experience, for sure. But man, what a headache. I just hope we can figure out a way to ensure the safety of our property while it’s on the market.