DON'T WORRY SIR

Once upon a time, a tenant leased a property through an ahente.

The tenant had just moved out of his old condo, and all of his belongings were cramped in his car.

He was patiently waiting outside the building of his new unit when the ahente called and said the unit he rented wasn't ready and the move-in had to be postponed. Understandably, the tenant was extremely frustrated by the situation.

"Don't worry, sir. I will take care of it. You can stay in another unit in the same building while we get your unit ready," the ahente told him. "The owner is aware and has agreed to let you stay."

The tenant saw the temporary unit, which was a mirror image of the unit he was supposed to rent (except for the furniture). Not having any other choice, the tenant accepted the solution and stayed in the unit while they fixed up the real one.

A few days later, the tenant got out of the shower (in a towel) and found a man inside the unit.

"Who the @#$*!@!! are you?!" the tenant cried.

"#%$#* sino ka?!" the stranger yelled back.

The stranger turned out to be the property owner (a different owner from the other unit). He had not allowed anyone to use his unit; the ahente had just been given a copy of the key.

Takeaways:

1. I understand and appreciate whenever we brokers are given copies of a unit's key. It makes the process of showing units (and closing the transaction) much more manageable. However, be careful who you give them to. While working with licensed brokers does not guarantee these things won't happen, it significantly minimizes the risk because they have a license to protect. Working with brokers from known organizations is even better because they have systems in place for accountability.

In another story, an agent lived in the units she handled. Fortunately, she was caught, but only after months of jumping between condos.

2. If your broker has a copy of your unit's key, make sure you have an agreement that states that entry is prohibited unless the owner has acknowledged the showing.

3. The worst thing an owner can do is to leave keys that multiple brokers have access to.