I had an experience that is probably not all that uncommon to busy agents, yet interesting. I was showing homes to a buyer client in one of those subdivisions with all the short winding streets where you can easily get turned around. I was using the directions from the MLS plano and pulled up in front of the house. Everything thing looked correct, right street, right agents’ sign, lockbox on the door, etc. As a habit, before entering any home I ring the doorbell even if I think it is unoccupied. It is just good policy.
To my surprise, a nice young man answered the door. I introduced myself, handed him a business card and explained: “We are here to show your home.” The young man then said, “We are not showing the home until this weekend. The Listing Agent just put the lock box on early.” I went on to explain that I had an appointment and showed him a copy of the MLS plano showing his house as Active in the MLS. The young man looked at the paper and then said. “Sorry, that is not my house, that is the one down the street.”
As it turns out, the same agent had another house almost exactly the same just a few houses away, around the bend in the road. A little embarrassed, I apologized. The young man was OK with the situation but was happy he had answered the door.
I took the client down the street to the correct house. In the end, she didn’t really like the floorplan of the house, so we moved on. We eventually found a different house in a different community.
Moral of the story? Read the address, make sure the numbers on the house match the numbers on the paperwork. You can save yourself a little embarrassment.
Want to find the right house for you? Call me, I promise to verify the address before entering.
Joe Domino is a Realtor® serving the Phoenix & Scottsdale metro area. You can follow Joe's real estate blog at From The Outside Looking In or find more great information by visiting his website at www.Scottsdale-AZHomes.com
