Property Owners -- Beware the Dreaded Lockbox! A Lockbox is like a Green Light to a Housebreaker!

The purpose of this light-hearted cartoon is to draw your attention to important issues you need to consider when selecting a real estate broker.
What is it you expect your listing broker to do after the property has been listed?  How do you judge whether or not that broker will do a good job?
At Arthur Lee of Red Rock, Inc., we emphasize service. Every time your property is shown, there will be one of our licensed agents there to supervise the showing – no exceptions. The security and integrity of your property are of the highest concern. Also, each customer’s reaction to the property needs to be directly observed. This can provide both of us with valuable feedback that may help improve marketing of the property. That is why our agent is there.
Unfortunately, there are some less-dedicated real estate agents, who rely heavily on cooperating brokers to actually make the sale. They list your property on the Multiple Listing system, then sit back and wait for participating brokers to bring a buyer. It is common for such agents to accept lower commission for their service, which appears very inviting to the unsuspecting property owner.
How sweet it is for that agent to collect half a commission with little, or no effort!
One clear indicator of this practice is the use of the lockbox. When another agency calls to show the listing, the listing agent states that there is a lockbox on the property, and that the cooperating agent may go there whenever they wish. The lazy listing agent will give out the security code to the box, and simply not appear for the showing.
They are doing you a grave disservice, because they are not taking due care of the property entrusted to them, and they cannot have first-hand feedback on the showing.
When you are interviewing prospective brokers, you need to find out if they use lockboxes. As anyone who has worked in sales will tell you, knowledge of, and enthusiasm for the product is a key factor in sales success. The same is true in real estate. It is the listing agent’s responsibility to convey knowledge of, and enthusiasm for your property, not just to the buyer, but to cooperating agents from other brokerage houses. Enthusiastic representation can make all the difference between making, or not making, a sale.
The listing agent will fail to adequately represent you unless there is an unyielding commitment to full service of your property listing. Lockboxes send the wrong message.

If you list with Arthur Lee of Red Rock, Inc., we guarantee full service of your listing all of the time – no shortcuts.