Allow me to rant and rave for a moment…it really bothers me when I see million dollar and multi-million dollar homes for sale in Desert Mountain without an electronic lock box. There are several Realtors with listings in Desert Mountain that use cheap $15 code lock boxes. These are pathetic little boxes that pop open when you put in the correct 3 letter or number code. They are sold at places like Home Depot for temporary use with contractors. The code is either listed in the Realtor remarks section of the mls listing or you simply call the listing Realtor to get the code. The lock box can be opened by anyone at anytime with the code. You can go in and out of the house as often as you wish. The problem is that anyone who gets the code has unfettered access to your home. There is no oversight and no control.
We recently had an incident in Phoenix where a thief posing as a Realtor called for the lock box code and the listing Realtor gave him the code over the phone and the house was robbed. This could not have happened with an electronic lock box.
In Arizona, the standard practice is for Realtors to use a professional electronic lock box (also called a SUPRA blue box) that is about $125. These lock boxes can only be opened by a digital electronic key by a Realtor. They keep an electronic record of WHO went into the home and WHEN the home was opened. This is the most secure lockbox. It protects your home and possessions.
As unbelievable as it sounds…I was recently showing a house in Desert Mountain and the listing Realtor did not even bother with a lock box and just left the key “hidden” outside the front door. This is the ultimate in laziness and disrespect to the owner. When a Realtor shows a home like this the client obviously sees where the key is hidden and could return at any time and just let themselves into the home.
If your agent can’t afford a $125 lock box to secure your home properly, why are you using them?? I think anyone who uses a cheap code lock box is disrespecting you and jeopardizing the security of your home. If you are selling your home in Desert Mountain you should INSIST that your agent use an electronic lock box. I would never use anything less.
Carmen Brodeur BA, LLB
Desert Mountain Specialist Realtor / Former Attorney
Carmen@ScottsdaleExperts.com
1-800-300-0263
www.DesertMountainHomesOnline.com
