There is a real estate game I often play but don’t enjoy:  Where is the lockbox?  Most are on the front door because when showing a home, it is more logical and less confusing to start at the front.

Why do some Realtors put a lockbox on the back door? Most home buyers decide in the first two minutes whether or not they like the home, those critical minutes should not be from the back of the house. 



Then there is the agent, who hides the lockbox, usually low to the ground and hidden in bushes (which is really fun when the sprinklers are on). Some Realtors prefer to put the lockbox on the garage, others on the meter.

Some possible reasons to hide a lockbox:

Security: But it is probably simpler to throw a rock through a window then break open a lockbox; they are very sturdy.

Privacy: Realtors are instructed to call before showing an occupied home, but some agents are more courteous than others.  Natalie and I sometimes hang a tag on our lockbox: Realtors do not access this lockbox without an appointment (this seems to work for us).  If the lockbox is on the garage or back door, it is not hidden well enough; as a Realtor we know the easy hiding places.

It seems that as long as I am showing homes, I will continue to play the hidden lockbox game.