Snakes in a house: True tales from the “Real Estate Agent ZONE”
Snakes in a House: True Tales from Real Estate Showings
Nothing can surprise me when showing houses – not even snakes in a house. I have run into literally hundreds of Atlanta real estate agent situations where facts are indeed stranger than fiction. My real estate agent stories are chronicled here in the
“Real Estate Agent ZONE”
My associate Debora showed an Atlanta house with a swimming pool. After phoning ahead with a courtesy call, as stipulated in the FMLS showing instructions, Debora arrived at the house with her clients.
As we always do, Debora rang the doorbell and knocked “just in case”. Since no one answered the door, Debora obtained the house key from the SUPRA electronic lockbox and proceeded to enter the house and look around.
Our clients were very pleased with the house. After looking around inside Debora led the buyer clients into the back yard pool area where a nude sun bathing party was taking place. Our clients literally “hit the road”. We don’t think their feet touched the ground until they were back to the street in front of the house.
Here is a “tip” for perspective Atlanta home sellers: An exotic reptile does NOT enhance the marketability of your home. I have a deep fear of snakes. Snakes On A Plane would be my worst possible nightmare. Snakes In A House is a close second.
During a showing I opened a bedroom door to find [insert drum roll] a very large, very long, very scary looking python. The snake was not caged. I froze in my tracks. Thankfully my clients had the presence of mind to close the door. Another sale lost.“There’s your sign”
Closed bedroom doors are never a good thing when showing an Atlanta house for sale. I always instruct my sellers to leave bedroom doors open during showing. Why? I have opened bedroom doors on more than one occasion only to find a family member asleep in bed…..during a pre-scheduled house showing.
Some of my associates have opened bedroom doors and found amorous activities taking place. You guessed it – another sale lost.
During one house showing an enthusiastic home seller was showing off some of his gardening secrets. First of all, Atlanta home sellers should be gone, absent and away from the house during showings. One reason – perspective buyers will not be impressed by a personal showing of your (alleged) marijuana seed collection.
Pit bull breed dogs are another pet that do not enhance a home sellers opportunities for closing a sale. I showed one Atlanta home where the listing agent had said that “pet dogs” would be moved outside to the fenced back yard. Good thing as the “pet dogs” were snarling and showing us some very impressive choppers through the sliding glass doors of one home I showed. No, we did not take the opportunity to walk around the back yard and admire the lawn and privacy. We moved on to the next exciting showing.