Remembering Basic Courtesies

More and more I am getting calls from agents about other agents who seem to be forgetting some basic rules of courtesy and safety!

As business starts to pick up, you may find that your time is getting harder and harder to schedule. No matter how busy, frazzled, or frenzied you are, don't forget the lessons that you learned when you first entered the business:

1) Avoid letting clients into properties if you won't be accompanying them - Several of the calls I've received are from an angry or irritated listing agents who stumbled across buyers who "let themselves" into the property. This is especially frequent with vacant and REO properties that have combination lockboxes. Just because a home is unoccupied doesn't mean that anyone can come in.

Never give your clients the combination to a lockbox. You don't know when they will access the property or how many times. You may be liable if damages or theft occurs. If you are too busy to meet them at the property, have a trusted colleague or co-worker assist your clients until you are available. (In the 2010 REALTOR® Code of Ethics, allowing someone unauthorized access to a lockbox or property will be a violation of Article 1!)

2) Don't let your clients move in until everything is recorded and funded - Just because your clients have signed all the documents doesn't mean the house is theirs. I am hearing that clients are moving into houses and making changes to the property before the sale has recorded. This is (again) happening frequently with REOs.

It belongs to the bank until everything is final. Accessing and changing things without the owner's [re: the bank's] permission is considered trespassing. If your clients start changing things (paint, peeling up carpet, fixing things) and something happens, there is legal liability.

If you are the one giving them the keys early, you could be liable as well. Just because the keys are in the lockbox doesn't mean you have the authority to provide them to the new homeowner. Homeowners will get keys when everything is final and they need to wait for that.

Advise your clients who are getting appointments lined up (such as cable hook ups or appliance delivery) to wait to schedule those until the property has changed ownership. It it tempting to have it all lined up for the day after "closing" but just in case of delays in recording, wait for everything to be final. Some of the new lending standards can cause delays in paperwork as well and having appointments scheduled so tightly can really cause problems. Your clients may ask you to let them in early and you don't want to put yourself in that position!

Besides those, remember basic things - call before you show a property (even if it says 'vacant' on the MLS listing!) - leave your card after showing - if you can't make an appointment or will be late, let them know - be professional in all you do: what you say, how you act, how you treat others.

Good luck and be safe!