Unprofessional Real Estate Agents Wednesday, April 7, 2021 I am glad that the current president of Greater Chattanooga Realtors brought up the discussion of competence in a recent Chattanoogan article. After what we experienced during the period our home was listed for sale last year, I have a few remarks about the incompetence of a number of licensed individuals showing our home to prospective buyers. There are enough challenges for homeowners who are selling their home without having to deal with careless, unprofessional agents showing it. From the first day our home was shown until a few weeks prior to the closing, we had recurring issues, particularly with agents who seemed incapable of operating a simple alarm system. Before an agent can show a home to prospective buyers, he or she must make an appointment through the showing service, which confirms that the home is available to show at the requested time. Showing instructions were sent by both email and text, with the passcode to access the lockbox to obtain the key, along with the showing alarm code to operate the alarm. Unfortunately, many agents who showed our home either set off the alarm upon entering by not entering the alarm code promptly, or they failed to rearm the alarm prior to leaving, in spite of the listing agent’s huge sign reminding them to do so on the back of the front door. There were also detailed instructions next to the alarm how to disarm and rearm it, including a diagram indicating which button to push and a reminder that "If you don't see a red light, the alarm is not on." When feedback is given after a showing that, “The alarm was too hard to operate,” it meant that an amateur who didn’t preview the instructions or bother to read the posted signs showed our home. One of the most ridiculous suggestions was for us to leave the alarm off prior to a showing. What would we have told our insurance company if something happened in the interim and we had to explain after an incident that we didn’t have the alarm on? Does anyone want to gamble whether the insurance company will honor a claim in that case?