This Real Estate Market is Going to the Dogs!

This Real Estate Market is Going to the Dogs! by Blaine Little

Real estate is going to the dogs, cats, hamsters, goldfish and maybe even the occasional iguana. Perhaps more than ever, American homes have included the extra family member with four legs. Yes, many consider these fury mooches as actual members of the family. They both keep us company when everyone else is gone and awake when we want to sleep. But where would we be without our little fur balls that so desperately depend on us? But therein lies the rub, we as their masters, must tend to them.

Carl Sandburg so precisely quipped "Comb a dog, wash a dog... STILL a dog". Yes, but whether that dog is unkempt and dirty, it is still the responsibility of the owner. Too many times, home sellers think the Realtor will tend to the needs of animals during a showing. They erroneously believe the Listing Agent has some sort of a system for pets. In many cases, we're doing well to have systems for people! Increasingly, brokerages are adding considerations for animals in their listing agreements or even on separate disclaimers.

Years ago, I was showing a property on the edge of town. When I called to schedule the appointment the day before, the secretary on the other end of the phone seemed to immediately recognize the address. "Be mindful of the cat" she stated. "It has never been outside of the house". What an odd thing to tell a showing agent, I thought. What an odd situation, period. I asked for confirmation of my understanding of this listing's dynamic. "The cat has never been outside, you say?" "Yes, that's correct" she replied. What kind of cat has NEVER been outside before? No worries. My experience has been that most cats run and hide under the bed of a back room, and that is what I assumed would happen the next day. 

When we arrived at the property, I was to have my expectations shattered. With a clipboard in one hand and the Realtor key card in the other, I slowly opened the door, hoping the creak of the hinges would be enough to scare fluffy away. Not this cat! She saw an opportunity, and she wasn't going to let it get away. I saw the vacuum cleaners archenemy headed straight for me with a determined look in her eyes. I went to slide my foot in the crack of the door, but to no avail. When it comes down to a nimble cat or an overweight grown man with three of four limbs occupied, the cat is going to win that agility course every time. It hopped my foot and quickly headed behind the front bushes.

Try as I might, I could not reach the purring princess which now had a taste of freedom. Undeterred, I went to the kitchen and opened a can of tuna to try to coax her out. Even my buyers got into the act! They would take turns tapping the tuna can with a fork and leaning into the thick bushes chanting "here, kitty, kitty". After about a half hour, the cat finally bolted from behind the foliage and zipped behind the house next door. At that point, I did the only thing a responsible Realtor could do... we loaded up the car and headed to the next appointment.

Later that evening, I received a phone call. To my surprise it was the Listing Agent of the first house I showed that day. He was livid. Though, as mad as he was, he assured me he was not using the choice words his seller had used with him. "The cat (that had never been outside, mind you) got out!" My mind began to think, well the worst possible scenario. Will there be crying children? Will I have to make a visit to PetSmart or the animal shelter the next day? "So uh, what happened to the cat?" I asked the other agent. "Well, the owners caught her and brought her inside. She was sitting on the front porch eating a can of tuna." Though I felt for the dilemma my fellow Realtor was in, I failed to see the problem. All's well that ends well I thought. He continued; "Now that the cat has been out, she will want to leave again, and the sellers don't want that." Good for the cat, I thought to myself!

This is just one of many stories that drive the lesson home that the owners are ultimately responsible for their own pets. In fact, they are responsible for the house itself and everything in it as well. In an attempt to secure a listing, some real estate professionals may shy away from uncomfortable conversations and simply assure the sellers that everything will be alright with the livestock. What we really need to do is ask what safeguards the clients can provide during an appointment, and note that on the showing form. No one understands the temperament of that animal better than the homeowners. Our due diligence is in marketing the dwelling so our clients can achieve their financial and real estate goals. When it comes to babysitting pets, we must not allow sellers to put that monkey (dog or cat) on our backs.

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