Getting To Know Your Supra Lockbox

Everyone is very busy. It can be a challenge to match up your schedule, your seller’s schedule and a potential buyer’s schedule, in order to set-up a home showing. While this often plagued real estate agents of the past, you will never have to deal with it if you are using a Supra lockbox. This seemingly magic box that will solve your scheduling dilemmas has become quite standard in the real estate industry. However, it is always best to do your research. You want to be able to put your confidence into something, in order for your clients to have confidence in it too. 

Although not overly common, it is possible for sellers to be a bit weary about using a lockbox at first. It is your job to assure them, and be able to answer any questions they may have. If you are trying to accomplish this, you have arrived at the right place. We will provide you with everything you could ever want to know about lockboxes and then some. How they work, what costs you can expect, how they have become more technologically advanced, and our latest recommendations. Lockboxes have been making life easier for real estate agents for decades now. You deserve to be in on the secret.

What is a Supra Lockbox and How Does it Work?

A lockbox is a convenient tool for real estate agents and sellers to utilize when selling a home. Especially one that needs to have frequent showings, outside of the open house. The lockbox is an automated box that hold the keys to the home. When the code is entered into the box, or your phone is properly synced, the box will then open and reveal the keys to the home. The box is typically at the very front of the property, often an arms length away from the front door, to allow for easy and convenient access. Once you have gotten the house keys from the lockbox, you can enter the home and lead a prospective buyer through a house showing, without ever needing the homeowners to be present. This allows for an extremely convenient and seamless process for everyone involved.

Now it is easy to understand how using a Supra lockbox could unsettle some very cautious sellers. But many advanced lockboxes, such as the Supra lockbox we recommend, have security features put in place in order to calm some nerves. Lockboxes often have hourly restrictions that can easily be set on them. You simply program in the times your client does not want anyone to have access to their house, and the lockbox will not open during those hours even if it is correctly accessed with the code or your phone. There should be no reason the house is accessed outside of normal business hours anyway, but this security measure is there in case an extreme situation were to occur, and of course to put the minds of your clients at ease. 

Placement

Sellers may become uneasy if the lockbox is right next to the front door. This is a clear sign that the property is for sale, and that people will often be in and out of the house. Some people do not appreciate this being common knowledge around the neighborhood.

Fortunately there are a few solutions to this as well. The lockbox can truly be put anywhere on the house. It is important to offer this option to your client. Many agents will suggest putting it on the garage door, or back door of the house, to avoid if from being in plain sight. This still allows for you to have easy access to the house, and your nervous clients are able to feel more comfortable.

Lastly, when considering placement it is important to review any local utility rules and regulations. Often times utility providers have rules against placing lockboxes on any sort of water, gas, or electric lines. This is to avoid unnecessary damage to the lines, and your clients property. It is important to avoid the lines altogether, or do your research on how to place them.

Benefits of Using a Lockbox

A Supra lockbox allows for convenient access to the house for everyone doing work on the house, not just you. This can lend to an easier and faster process of inspection, or review of the house by the buyer’s agent. Therefore getting the house off the market much faster. The lockbox eliminates the need for the buyer’s broker to come to your office, in order to pick up the key. Agents don’t want to coordinate their schedule with yours, in order to gain access to the house. Thus making the home much easier and convenient to show. 

Potential buyers are often significantly more comfortable with a showing, and get more out of the showing if the current owners of the home are not present. It is easier to critique the home and have an open conversation with you about the property. Buyers will feel like they won’t offend anyone by speaking up. The lockbox makes it easy for your client to vacate the home as quickly as possible. This is especially important in the event of a previously unscheduled showing. While this should not be an overly common practice, it does happen in the real estate industry from time to time. Using a lockbox allows for your clients to leave the home, without having to remember to set out a key, or wait around for you to get there. Avoid the awkward interaction. At the end of the day, lockboxes allow for the utmost convenience in almost all situations.  

Drawbacks of Using a Lockbox 

There are very few downsides, or points of concern when using a lockbox. Most of the newer models are highly advanced, but there still are a few things to be aware of. While it is not recommended, using an older lockbox is an option you have. Using an older lockbox can lend to a few problems. They can cause inconveniences and headaches for you, your clients, potential buyers, or anyone else needing to enter the house.

Some older lockboxes that have either been heavily used, or are lower quality can have a tendency to rust. If a lockbox you are using is showing signs of rusting, it can make it very difficult, and sometimes impossible, to access the keys inside the box. If the keys can not be accessed and you cannot complete the showing, you may lose a buyer. They may feel like their time was wasted. It can be embarrassing to you, and your clients, that driving out to the property wasted your valuable time. 

When selling a condo or apartment a lockbox can also lead to a few problems if you are not careful. In the case of selling a condo or apartment, it is very important to label your lockbox with your, or your listing brokers, information. Standard information such as name, and telephone number should be clearly labeled on the back of the lockbox. This way if there are multiple lockboxes on the gate for a condo or apartment building, you will quickly and easily be able to find yours, and proceed with the showing, without any confusion or delay. 

Supra Lockbox 

Supra offers many different key products in order to open their lockboxes. One of the most highly recommended and most popular is the Supra eKEY app. The Basic eKEY app allows you to set access hours for showings, change the lockbox code, receive real time updates when showings begin and end, and more. The app is clear and easy to use. You are able to access and see multiple lockboxes on the same page. You can quickly add notes to different properties if needed. Supra lockboxes can also be paired with other technology, including Pro Agent Solutions, in order to enhance you and your clients real estate experience. 

When pairing your Supra lockbox with the Pro Agent Solutions automated showing feedback system, you are able to quickly get feedback. Find out what potential buyers think of your client’s home and how the showing went. This allows you to improve your skills as an agent, while getting helpful feedback on what buyers like and don’t like about the home.

The automated showing feedback feature of Showing Pro will automatically download your real estate showings from the Supra lockbox. Once the showing is over, the buyer’s agent will be emailed and texted a feedback questionnaire. The questionnaire comes with several multiple choice and open ended questions but can be edited any way you like. You can also create different questionnaires for different properties. When the showing agent replies to questionnaire you are emailed the response. Sellers can also be set to receive a copy of the response. This system makes receiving feedback efficient and easier than ever. Check out the Pro Agent Solutions 14 day free trial to see how it will positively impact your business. 

The app that is paired with this lockbox is also extremely advanced which makes it even easier and safer for you to access the house key of your clients. The combination of the app and lockbox, will also give you instant showing notifications at the beginning and end of showings. It will also give you alerts if the box is accessed at all.

These lockboxes are not only easy to use and technologically advanced. They are also extremely safe and have multiple security measures. Supra lockboxes are made with the highest quality materials and are built in order to withstand attack. When purchasing this lockbox you know you are getting a high quality product. It has many features in order to protect your clients, and make showing homes as easy as possible for you.

The Cost of a Lockbox 

Newer and advanced lockboxes often have many components to them that can be expensive and add up in cost quickly. In most cases the lockbox itself will need to be purchased. An annual fee will need to be paid, in order to use the app.

Additionally, a one time activation fee for downloading the app also must be paid. These costs can drastically vary depending on what brand you choose to buy. This will also vary with how many features you want to have access to when using the app. While this is not ideal, it is well worth the cost.

It is also important to note, that in many instances, it is not an individual agents sole responsibility to cover these costs. Often brokerages will have deals with certain lockbox companies. Thus giving every agent in the brokerage access to using the lockboxes. It is also common for smaller real estate teams to divide the costs of using advanced lockboxes among themselves. This helps to lessen the monetary burden for each individual agent.  

Attain Safety and Convenience 

Testimonials from many agents who have used Supra lockboxes have come to a similar conclusion. Using these lockboxes saves time and improves customer service to your clients. The data obtained from using them, and systems they can be paired with, is beyond helpful. Real estate technology has impacted the market in many ways. You will quickly learn that integrating lockboxes into your routine as an agent will only provide you with benefits. They are truly a real estate technology advancement that every agent should be utilized to their full advantage.