Technology Is Awesome…Until It’s Not

A Sharp Edge and Leverage Used To Bust A Glitch
These days, technology and real estate go hand in hand. That said, when technology fails it can be very counterproductive and actually get pretty embarrassing.

Our local CMLS uses a very cool lockbox system as they lease the blue key holders from General Electric Company. In turn, each individual Realtor pays a fee for every lockbox we receive from CMLS. To illustrate, every ‘Franklin Jones’ sign in Columbia also has a lockbox somewhere on the property. At present, I think we have about 50 in the community.

On a weekly basis, I report to clients that, “Real estate is an imperfect industry.” Well, the lockbox system is a VERY imperfect system within the industry. When a lockbox runs out of juice or malfunctions for some reason, we have to rent the giganitco bolt cutters pictured above to pry them from our listings. After I strain to snap the lockbox from the doorknob or handrail, I have to take the box to The Key Shop so they can drill the steel cradle from the box to free the key.

You can tell from the pic above the sheer size of the bolt cutters makes this an awful process. Actually, I have to place one arm of the tool in my torso and pull hard with the other. All the while, it’s a challenge not to bite off my tongue when it snaps.

In all, as the calls/texts/emails rolled in, today’s lockbox episode took about two hours from the day. It’s a great micro-example of how technology makes our world great, until it doesn’t.

Comments

  1. You failed to mention that now you owe CMLS about $75. Stinks.

  2. Good to see that you had to do a little bit of “real work” for a change.

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