Today I started the morning with 3 showings...one of ours and 2 others....the first house was nice but had a zoo full of assorted dogs that jumped all over the buyers and me...other caged things...just not their house...On to house number 2....columns surround the front door...and the yard is beautiful with blooms of purple, pink and yellow...and I twirl the lockbox and open the front door to a wide welcoming foyer...and POOF.....the pungent smell of gas smacked all of our nostrils.....as we went into the family room...the smell got stronger. It appeared to be coming from the fireplace but there was no key or switch we could find to turn the gas off...I quickly called the Listing Agent's office...and told the receptionist to page her and give her the message that there may be a gas leak of some kind and to notify the seller(s) at once.
A few moments later I got a voice mail from the agent...for some reason in this area, cell phones seldom ring, the calls just go into voice mail. She was very defensive...the house is only a couple years old...there can't be a problem...after all, her seller would know...bla, bla, bla. I had to call back and almost beg her to call the seller immediately and report what I believed to be a problem.
The agent called the seller and relayed our conversation...we were on to the next house...a while later I got another phone call....the seller did return, her sensory adaptation had disappeared and she too had the same experience when she entered the home...and called the gas company immediately.......there was a leak in the gas fireplace and the repair crew was being dispatched asap !
The agent apologized profusely when she called me back....you could
"see" that her cheeks were flushed when she sheepishly admitted that in fact there was a problem....I had never intimated that it was a housekeeping issue...I had always identified it as a gas smell.
...Keep your head up....your nose unplugged, eyes open...and if you go to a showing and notice something is wrong...report it immediately. You would want someone to do it if it were your listing....Gas smells...a window ajar that looks out of place...whatever you see that your little voice, nose, etc. says is out of the ordinary.....
Be professional....be courteous....just do it !
Sally K. & David L. Hanson, ABR, CDPE, CSS, e-Pro,ILHM, REDS
I can't believe she argued with you when you were trying to do her a favor. Oh, wait. Yes, I can. LOL.
Sure you can 'Lizabeth...some folks have to be right...and what would I know...I was there with a nose full and a headache.....good thing that smoking is passe and the seller didn't !
Other agents, please behave, we are just here to sell the house not abduct you client... geeeeez
And, boom...goes the dynamite!
SO basic..so stupid...so arrogant! Arghhh!
Well done!>. Buckster
Love the graphic..yeah...the realtor was "12"...you would have thought I said the house smelled like garbage...gas leak...helloooooo...
Sally, great job of being aware and responsible!! I hate to think of the other agents who wouldn't relay that info! Now, on to the first houe and caged things.......they were being cared for, right?? ::-)
GOOD MORNING SALLY and DAVID! A good lesson and a reminder: Don't take things personal - take it for what it is! Good sniffing! -- Gabrielle
Kristin - Cared for ...oh yes...and they sooo cared for us...with paws everywhere !
Gabrielle - Gotta use ALL your senses when you show a house...and have some SENSE as well !
Maybe the other agent just didn't understand what kind of gas you were referring to! LOL
She does now...even the freshly baked cookies couldn't disguise the penetrating odor....