Putting Tape Over That Lock?

Here’s 4 Things to Consider

Since opening our doors in 2013, we have provided countless homes and businesses with new keys.  New keys not only provide security, but they also bring a calm assurance that you won’t be locked out of a door without access.

(We still marvel at the amount of extra prayer folks invest by saying, Oh God, please don’t let this door get locked.  You know I don’t have a key for it!)

My REALTOR® friends pray a similar prayer with some of their listings when their seller has a key for the top lock, but not the bottom lock- or vice versa. 

Now, before you tape over a lock and post your little stickie note, here’s four things to consider:

Fixing This is Not Expensive.

In Springfield, we can oftentimes rekey the front door (only) and provide you with 4 keys for $75-$85.  Tell us when you want to go live.  We prioritize listings because we understand timing is everything in the real estate world.

After closing, the buyer will most likely have the entire home rekeyed, so making keys for the other doors isn’t really necessary to market the home.  With 4 front door keys, you can have one for the SUPRA box, one for a contractor box and a couple for the seller.

The seller can usually cover the cost of this, but I’ve seen some amazing REALTORS® pick up the tab to expedite the listing process.

Taping Over Locks Looks Cheesy.

Accessing a listing with a garage code is cheesy enough.  How about arriving at the front door and being met with painter’s tape slapped over the knob with a note saying “DO NOT LOCK KNOB”?

I’ve had soooo many REALTORS® bewail how their signs were ignored and an inspector (or another agent) locked the taped-over knob.

Cheese aside, what does a taped over lock communicate to a potential buyer?  While I am not a REALTOR® or home inspector, I do wonder at times…. If the seller neglects small stuff like their locks, what else are they neglecting?

The opposite is true.  I’ve also seen home owners that have all their locks synchronized, functional and in order.  Most of the time these sellers have the big stuff in order, too.

It’s worse when the seller has no key for the front door, so a garage code is placed in the SUPRA.  You don’t have to be a REALTOR® to see the pitfalls with the garage entry option: potential buyers get to see all the clutter crammed into the garage to facilitate the photo shoot!

Being Proactive is Less Expensive.

So you call us to make keys for the front door.  No need to tape over a lock.  No need to post a note that you hope sticks to the door.  Isn’t $75 worth it?

Now imagine not making this investment. 

An agent ignores the note and locks the door.  It’s Saturday night.  You have an inspection scheduled for the next day.  After hours service calls from unknown “locksmiths” on the search engine gouge you for $300.  (Sadly, instances like this are becoming more common.) 

Being proactive in your lock situation is almost always less expensive than being reactive.

417 Rekey can get you up & running on your listing without gouging you.  We take our A+ rating with the BBB very seriously.

We Have SUPRA.

We still meet REALTORS® that light up when we tell them we have SUPRA eKey.   Recently the CBS code requirement for our eKey was waived, enabling us serve our valued clients even faster!

Need keys for your listing?  Leave the SUPRA box, text us the address and we’ll take it from there. 

Never used 417 Rekey before?  We’d love to meet you.  When you call, tell us you are a REALTOR® listing a home.  Tell us when you want to go live.  We’ll prioritize your listing and get there ASAP.

The local real estate community has been so good to us since our founding.   This is why we strive to reciprocate their kindness with every opportunity we have.

Happy Sales!