Why Mechanical Lockboxes Can’t be Trusted
Did you know that Denver is the only major real estate market in the country that does not primarily use electronic lockboxes? Everywhere else, REALTORS® have adopted electronic lockboxes as a standard of professionalism. Who knows what it is about Denver, but this is a problem we are very adamant about correcting.
Why are mechanical lockboxes no longer up to snuff?
Above all, they fail to restrict access. Period. With a quick search on Google, you can figure out various methods to crack into a mechanical box… even with something as common as a soda can or a pen. But sometimes all it takes is observation. Burglars have posed as buyers just to get a look at the combo when being let inside.
They can’t track showing history. Not only do they not protect against unauthorized entry, they have no way of recording who accessed a home and when. Electronic lockboxes, however, do track this info. They maintain record of this information, which gives you complete control. Just as you should have.
They lack one-day-code access options. If another REALTOR® wants access to a listing for a showing or a contractor needs entry, you usually need to share the combo with them. Who knows how discrete they are with this information. As mentioned before, control is vital. You do not want the key to your sellers’ home in anyone's hands but your own.
Clients entrust their homes and other belongings to REALTORS®, and to use flawed, obsolete technology to protect their most valuable investment is a breach of that trust. Imagine a scenario in which a client’s home was broken into because of the lax security you used. Indeed, a mechanical lockbox could lose you more than the trust of a client…
As a reminder, to encourage our members to participate in this standard of excellence, we are giving away FREE SentriLock lockboxes, complete with a year of service.
This is your opportunity to stand by the first article of the code of ethics and set an example for your peers. We hope you will join us!
