At Properties and Paradise, we think it’s important to use technology to the advantage of our customers. One small but impactful piece of technology that we love is the electronic lockbox. Electronic lockboxes provide a safe way to store keys for real estate listings to allow easy access for house showings. They provide many benefits by way of security, efficiency, and ease of agent communication, making it a no brainer to use electronic lockboxes over outdated manual solutions.
WHAT ARE ELECTRONIC LOCKBOXES?
Electronic lockboxes allow real estate agents on both sides of the transaction to gain access to the listing in a secure and convenient manner. This lockbox is placed on the listed property’s door handle, and agents can open the box to access the listing keys using either an app on their phones or an Ekey.
The Supra iBox is our electronic lockbox of choice. They should be highly utilized in Miami as they are provided for free by the Miami Association of Realtors to anyone who has a membership. With a tool like the Supra iBox, gone should be the days when agents had to stop by a brokerage for a key, or pass around codes to a now antiquated lockbox model. The Supra iBox allows for a smooth showing process by providing flexibility in a secure manner.
Using infrared technology, agents can simply point at the iBox with the eKEY or an eKEY enabled smartphone to active the iBox and retrieve the listing key held inside. Each time an iBox is opened, the iBox records the date and time, as well as the identity and contact information for the keyholder. This information can be obtained online by the listing agent, or from the iBox itself.
The Supra iBox also allows agents to easily communicate by way of electronic notes that can be accessed online, or read directly from the iBox itself. Another helpful feature that the iBox offers is the ability to customize showing hours, with an option to require that all showings be pre-scheduled with the listing agent.
WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF ELECTRONIC LOCKBOXES?
One of the advantages of Electronic Lockboxes is that they provide a reliable system for security during the real estate selling process. Lockboxes themselves are virtually impossible to steal. Many electronic lockboxes allow the agent to set the operating hours so that the home can only be accessed at certain times. Lost keys, theft, and all the other safety issues related to giving out a manual lockbox code can be avoided with this simple technology which, again, is included with MAR memberships.
Electronic lockboxes allow agents to better serve their customers by giving them greater flexibility and control over access to listing keys. Any agent savvy enough to have adopted this technology can use it to avoid a trip to pick up a key, or having to track down a lockbox code. This means that all parties can avoid super inefficient showings requiring coordination between the listing agent, showing agent, and the customer’s schedules. This also means that listing agents can provide clients with showing times that best fit their schedules. In the end, this likely results in more showings for a home!
Another really great benefit of electronic lockboxes is that they allow agents to keep track of their showings. With the Supra iBox, you can set up alerts to inform you when the lockbox is opened and closed, and you will know who the showing agent is. Looking back, you will be able to tell exactly who showed the listing, and when. The best part? The showing agent’s contact information will be readily available.
WHY ALL REAL ESTATE AGENCIES SHOULD BE USING ELECTRONIC LOCKBOXES
In addition to the increased security, flexibility, and organization that electronic lockboxes provide, electronic lockboxes also facilitate real estate agent communication. The Supra iBox allows agents to leave electronic notes for showing agents. These notes can include helpful information, such as alarm codes, instructions like “don’t let the cat out”, or helpful showing tips such as “open the curtains in the bedroom for a great view of the yard”. These little pieces of information can be super impactful, leading to greater success with showings.
Electronic lockboxes also provide a much more reliable way to obtain feedback from the showing agents. Before electronic lockboxes were commonly used throughout the industry, agents had to rely on business cards that were (hopefully) left behind for them, or they had to manually keep track of who was picking up a listing key. Now, the showing agent’s contact information is stored by the electronic lockbox, making it easier than ever for agents to communicate. Ultimately, this allows the listing agent to be more productive.
IN CONCLUSION…
Electronic lockboxes are the obvious choice for any sophisticated real estate professional. Electronic lockboxes provide homeowners with more security, allow the listing agent to be more effective, and make for a much smoother process for the showing agent. The technology makes so much sense. Agents who have yet to adopt it are holding the industry back by forcing the need for highly inefficient secondary methods.