Do I Need a Lock Box When Selling a Home?
Do I need to use a lock box on my home in Fairfax VA when it is listed for sale? The answer is yes if you want to sell it and get the best possible price! Since most real estate listings these days are entered into a Multiple Listing Service or the MLS that means your home in Fairfax VA is now available to more Northern VA real estate agents to sell your home than just the listing agent you listed your home with. That is a good thing, because other real estate agents and brokers have access to buyers all across town. Please remember that home buyers work all types of hours; have all types of jobs, and some home buyers are in town only for a few days on a relocation trip to buy a home. That means they need accessibility to get into homes on fairly short notice. For a homeowner the lockbox allows access to your home for preset hours or 24/7 depending on what the lockbox hours are set by your agent. The new lockboxes we use records the time, date and what agent showed your home and immediately notifies the listing agents. There is also an online log where agents can access to see who has been viewing your home. Each Fairfax real estate agent has to access and update daily updated codes and have a unique ID that identifies them as currently licensed real estate agents. These keys are never allowed to be lent and cannot offer access to a home or real estate property unless they have the updated access codes. Lockbox codes and lockboxes allow for quicker sales and more views by qualified buyers. That makes the use of a lockbox a handy tool for home sellers. It is also wise to have the lockbox in visibly easy to see place so agents can readily find it and get access to your home.
Benefits of Using Lockboxes When Selling A Home
- Avoids “Appointment Only” Status
- Avoids Calling Agent ( Who may be inaccessable) to give Unique Code
- Do Not Have to Wait for Your Agent to Show Home
- Identifies Who has Shown the Home
- Offer Preset Access for Hours home is Available
- Offers Ready Access to More Qualified Buyers
- Showing Agent Does Not Have to Pick Key Up at your Agents Office
- You Do Not have to be Home to Show
- You Do not have to Put Lock Box Out!
Great article, Ellen. Allowing potential buyers to have access to my listings is hugely important. There are times I commit to another client to show their listing, and agents are contacting me about showing one of my other listings. I have found that the best solution to this problem is in fact putting a smart Realtor lockbox on my all of my listings.
These smart lockboxes are a little more expensive, but I’ve found them for less at LockBoxSwap. When I’ve needed to buy or sell a lockbox, LockBoxSwap saved me time and money. I would definitely recommend them to any Realtor looking to buy a used lockbox.