"Vacant" Unit

Once upon a time, a broker was showing a condo unit to a client. As part of standard operating procedure, he informed the owner about the ocular a day before the meeting, which the owner confirmed.

The owner was a friend and had given him a copy of the unit's key.

The broker and the client went inside the unit and immediately noticed it was messy. They found used dishes in the sink, a dumbbell in the middle of the room, and a wet towel.

The broker knew the owner would stay there overnight once in a while, but the unit's state suggested that someone was living there.

So the broker called the owner to ask if he had recently used the unit. The owner was surprised and made some calls. As it turns out, the owner's brother had already leased the unit to someone.

It was a good thing the tenant wasn't there when they went in. Otherwise, it would have violated the tenant's privacy completely. Imagine getting out of the shower only to find strangers in the unit.

Lessons:

Brokers: Ring the doorbell before entering the unit to make sure no one's inside.

Owners: assign one person to handle rental properties.