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When realtors show a home to a potential buyer, they
need a way to get into the house when the owner is not there. To do
this, a lockbox is placed somewhere on the property, usually at the
front door. Inside the lockbox is a key to the property. In the past,
these lockboxes were opened with a master key that was distributed to
realtors working in the neighborhood. These keys were heavy, and
cumbersome to carry around, especially if a realtor was going to show
the buyer multiple properties. Not only were these lockboxes
inconvenient, they also posed a security risk. When two realtors were
robbed at gunpoint for several lockbox keys, the local realtors'
association had to quickly change the lockboxes on some 500 houses.
Now, electronic lockboxes make showing homes much
easier. Instead of carrying a pocket full of keys, all an agent needs is
a single pad. Realtors must insert their pad in the box and type in a
personal identification number to gain access. The PINs are kept in a
central computer, and must be renewed every month buy each realtor. This
allows the sellers to easily find out how many people are interested in
their home, and who has been in at what time. This system also provides
much more security. The new lockboxes let the homeowners, and realtors
know who is responsible if something goes wrong, whether the realtor
left the door to the house unlocked or something was damaged.
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