Area Board of Realtors
If you are selling a home, odds are you’ve done everything you can to make the house and property look as good as possi bletopotenti al buyers. You’ve decluttered all the rooms, put away your valuables, and put shoe covers out so shoppers don’t track dirt on the carpet. Your yard is the very definition of curb appeal. You’re all set and now people have been looking at your home.
Then your questions start: Who was in my home? How long were they there?
Thanks to the members of Dayton Realtors, these questions can now be answered. Until this year, Realtors around the Mia miValleyhave used a mechanical lockboxtostorethekeytoa home. They have used either a dial or pushbutton combination to access the box.
While these boxes have served their purpose, they also posed some potential secu- rity and accountability issues, too. Dayton Realtors looked at the advancements in technology across the countr y and began rollingoutelectroniclockboxes. Used by more than 700,000 Realtors in America, these electronic lockboxes are replacing the old combination boxes in our market.
So what’s different about electronic lockboxes, and why should sellers care what kind of box is on their home?
F irst, electronic lockboxes provide a security upgrade. Using Bluetooth technology, each Realtor showing the home uses an ap p on their phone to unlock the box. This provides a unique point of entry to that specific Realtor at that moment, and the box records this information. So now there’s no one single combination that any Realtor can use to access the box at anytime.
No more scribbled cod esonstickynotes or papers means fewer chancesofsecurityrisks. Sellers and listing agents will know exactly who wasinthe ir property and for how long.
Second, when a Realtor unlocks an electronic lockbox, ever y Realtor’s code is different and the boxc an account for who opened it and when. Plus, once an electronic lockbox is accessed, the Realtor representing the seller ca nr eceive a notification that the box has been accessed. (Notifications to sellers are also current lyintheworks.)
It’s a wonderful accountability feature that can provide valuable data on when a property was viewed and how long the showing lasted.
Marketing is king in real estate, so if a seller’s Realtor sees that shoppers are quickly leaving a home, it might mean there’s something about the home that’s turning people away.
It gives the seller a chance to get in front of the iss uea nd mak es ome changes.
Third, if a seller has timesofthedaywhena showingwouldbeinc onvenient,th eir Realtor can program the electronic lockbox t onot open. Allow showings onlyfrom10a.m.to1 p.m.? Absolutely. No showings after 7 p.m. on Tuesday? Not a problem. Even if someone accidentally shows up, that box is not going to open.
These are jus ta few benefits you receive as the seller when your Realtor use sa n electronic lockbox on your home. This new system was rolled out in April and each Realtor in the Dayton market has access to it.
Your home is the most important investment youhave.It’sworth ever y effort you and your Realtor can take to knowas many details of the showings that occur and to have the added security and accountabilitythatanelectronic lockbox provides.
If you’re ready to begin the process of selling your home, contact a Realtor today.