The Window

So, this one is about me. You are going to laugh, and I am going to shake my head silently at myself for even daring to share this story, but hey... when we clock out and leave our work place we are people too.

I had had a long day. It was a Texas summer and we were in the middle of what we call "Turn" or student turnover. From May until late August, is when we get all of our leasing traffic here in Aggieland. I had fourteen appointments earlier in the day, in the hot Texas summer. I had one couple I had been working with come into to last minute right as I was wrapping it up. My clients wanted to see a two story home to rent while her husband was here working on his Master's. I immediately left and met them at the property, only to find out the lockbox had drawn its last breath. Not wanting to disappoint my clients I contacted the management company that had the property and explained to them what was going on. They referred me to the maintenance lockbox on the back door that had a combo code. "That is our only key, just put it back when you are done or we will be locked out", the receptionist explained. It should have been a foreboding. I opened the lock box, and unlocked the back door, and walked through the house and opened the front door for my clients. We toured the entire home, and I laid the key on the kitchen counter, and pulled out necessary forms. I came up short on one, so I ran out to the car to retrieve it. I headed back into the home stepping over stuff the maintenance team had left out to get the home in ready condition. I handed everything to my clients. It was about 7:00 p.m. by then and they wanted to take the forms with them to fill out and I was going to meet back up with them after they had dinner. My client asked for an extra form for her records. They were following me out the front door, and I told them just to leave the house open, and I would close up, as I handed them an extra paper. Then my client said, "Oh I just locked up for you." I tried to keep a calm face and thanked him for locking the only key to the home inside the home. I wasn't mad, but the wheels were turning on who I could call to get in the home. I walked them to their car and waved goodbye. The minute they were out of eye shot, I sprinted back to the house, and pressed my face against the front window. Right there on the kitchen counter were my keys, my cell phone, and the only key to the house. Locked tightly up inside. Crap! I had no idea what to do. I didn’t even have a phone to call someone to get in the house! I did what any sleep deprived leasing agent would do. I began running around the house like a crazy woman trying to open windows. Surely maintenance men had left just one tiny little window open! Well they didn't. I sat down on the nice covered patio a moment trying to think of something. Then I spotted a ladder leaned against the house that the maintenance man left out. I propped the ladder up and began going up and down the ladder looking for an open window. I found one. The little narrow window above the kitchen sink. I rolled my eyes. Of Course. I looked around and then went for it. I shimmied through the little window, landed in the kitchen sink, and straightened my silk blouse and linen shorts. Real Estate 007. I went over to the kitchen counter and grabbed my phone, and then my keys. Only to realize the door key was missing! I heard the front doorbell ring, and I opened the door. My client stood there a moment quietly assessing the ladder, the open kitchen window, and probably my disheveled appearance and he held up the key, "I accidently stuck this in my pocket". I looked at him and cracked up laughing. He looked over at the ladder and started laughing, "You crawled through the window didn’t you, wow, you are resourceful." I locked up the house and told him how he had locked my keys and everything inside, and I had no choice. Long story short....I got invited to dinner with them.

So yes...Realtors can jump even the most awkward hurdles for their clients