Sacramento Real Estate Blog

Yes, nowadays most Realtors have blogs. We also just type up offers on WinForms and email them immediately to our clients in pdf format. We’ve learned to use websites to promote our listings and order flyers online. We make a huge effort to draw people to our website, blending traditional methods like yard signs and Open Houses and online marketing. Some clients can even sign electronically if they’re away from home.

Now it looks like companies we do business with are catching on. The lockbox is going high-tech. According to the Sacramento Bee, the lockbox Realtors use to enter a home is now going to have a panic button that will send a message to five people the Realtor chooses, just in case he/she feels in danger. I must admit, I have often worried about going into a home alone with someone I do not know.

The lockbox, which contains the key to the home, already has the ability to tell the listing agent that the home has been shown, but GE - the maker of the lockbox - plans on adding new features soon. These will include information about the home, perhaps instructions such as “Don’t let the cat out!” (a familiar one!) and better ability to communicate with the other agent. This might just come in handy when clients see a home they haven’t made an appointment to go inside. If the lockbox tells me it’s vacant and it’s okay for me to enter and show it, it would save me the time of going back to the computer and checking the showing instructions.

All I can say is I’m looking forward to the changes.