In March we hosted Key Lock Box Presentations with both SUPRA and Sentrilock representatives.  We asked the attendees of those presentations to answer a 5 question survey.  There were 88 attendees, to date, we have received 47 replies to the survey.

Click here for the survey results

If you didn’t have an opportunity to attend one of the March presentations, make plans to attend the Key Lock Box Q&A at Ladysmith Village on April 15.  The event is FREE.  You can register online at www.faarmembers.com / Events tab or download the registration flier and fax to 540-736-0301. 

Click here for Lock Box Q&A Registration Flier

If you would like to have a Key Lock Box Q&A event in your area, please contact the Key Lock Box Task Force Chair Suzy Stone at scsc21adv@aol.com.

Dear Members,

As part of our ongoing efforts to inform our members about the Key Box system options, we have compiled the following information.  The Q&A was created based on questions posed at the February focus group meetings and from the member SUPRA / Sentrilock presentations in March. 

Since not everyone was able to attend one of the vendor presentations, we filmed the meetings and the video is now available online at FAARforum.  It is a condensed version and has been edited into 11, 10 minute  or less segments.  In addition, a spreadsheet was compiled that includes a breakdown of the costs to the Association as well as to the member for each system.  Also, each vendor provided a link to their product overview information. 

VIDEO PRESENTATIONS: click on the links below

SENTRILOCK 1 – INTRODUCTION
SENTRILOCK 2 – DEVICE
SENTRILOCK 3 – FEATURES
SENTRILOCK 4 – SOFTWARE
SENTRILOCK 5 – SERVICES & SUPPORT
SENTRILOCK 6 – CONCLUSION

SUPRA 1 – INTRODUCTION
SUPRA 2 – SYSTEM ENHANCEMENTS
SUPRA 3 – SERVICES & SUPPORT
SUPRA 4 – SERVICES
SUPRA 5 – CONCLUSION

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD FINANCIAL COMPARISON PDF

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD Q&A PDF

CLICK HERE TO LINK TO SUPRA PRODUCT OVERVIEW

CLICK HERE TO LINK TO SENTRILOCK PRODUCT OVERVIEW  Enter Password faar2710

We encourage you to forward your comments and questions about the Key Box systems to the Taskforce Chair Suzy Stone at scsc21adv@aol.com.

 Latana Locke, President

Pat Breme, CEO

**The views expressed in this post are solely my own and may not reflect the views of the Fredericksburg Area Association of Realtors.  FAAR has established a workgroup to look at options for the upcoming Supra Contract renewal.  If you have an opinion, please email the Association so that they can forward that information to the Lockbox Workgroup.**

The Problem

Sometime before the end of the year the Fredericksburg Area Association of REALTORS will be faced with the decision to stay with our current Supra Lockbox system which is owned by GE, or Sentriock which is owned by NAR.  Change is rarely received well and the Board of Directors must consider many, many issues with this decision.  Current membership polls have shown a majority of members (who took the survey) would like to stay with the current Supra system.  Some members, mainly those who serve clients in the northern part of our market area, would like to convert to Sentrilock.

Cost Considerations

There are some concerns with the cost of a new system.  I’m not sure of the contractual issues for the Association, but for the individual members the cost of changing should be nominal if history repeats itself.  The Associations who changed lockbox systems were able to get an one-for-one exchange on their equipment. 

I’ve recently purchased both a Supra and Sentrilock key system and here were my costs:

Supra (thru FAAR) was $214 for the cradle, key and annual service fee.

Sentrilock (thru PWAR) was $250,  $70 of that was for the card reader, which is evidentially sold separately from the key and service. 

Lockboxes are around the $100 mark for either system. Although I believe that FAAR still has some used boxes at half that price.

Some have voiced concerns over the hassle of a conversion process.  To me that is a short-sighted argument, in that extent of the other areas conversion was one day to go in, take an orientation and grab your new key.  Outside of that would be the time to gather and replace the existing lockboxes.  This is a one or two day hassle, so not a variable to a big picture decision, in my opinion. 

Comparative Benefits – Supra

Supra has been a strong system in our area for many years.  I’ve had little to no failure of any part of the system.  Here is a list of my personal opinions on the Pro’s and Con’s of the Supra system:

Pro’s

• GE is a strong appliance company with a long history of innovation
• The system is easy to use and familiar to most local agents
• GE has been responsive to the needs of the Association
• I’ve never had a system failure
• The new key (to be issues upon contract renewal) will be wireless and updated by cell phone towers
• The new key will have an agent distress button and flashlight
• Only people who have lockbox keys will be able to enter homes
• The new key will also send immediate updates to the Lister upon access
• Supports SmartPhones with infra-red devices
• Boxes are durable and release the key quickly

Con’s

• Support for Blackberry is severally lacking.  The use of any Smartphone is an additional fee and doesn’t provide a lot of additional features.  The Blackberry requires another independent device, which defeats the purpose of a convergence service. 
• My experience with Supra’s web service hasn’t been good.  The website is a bit flaky.
• The USB cradle is a pain to get to work and not always reliable. 
• If your key isn’t synced you have to seek out a cradle or call a number with an extensive phone menu.
• The key (both old and new) is bulky and leaves me with one more thing to break or forget somewhere.
• The new key has been available for the past two years and wasn’t released to FAAR, except for beta testing.  My concern is that our membership will not be provided with new innovations until contract renewal.  Additionally, I understand that there will be an slight fee increase with the new device.

Comparative Benefits – SentriLock

Sentrilock is the new kid in town, and whereas I haven’t personally had any issues with it, the heavy users have had some concerns.  The second hand information I’ve received have been concerns with viruses being transferred (reported to no longer be an issue) and issues with random boxes not recognizing the cards. Again…those are issues that I haven’t yet experienced.

Pro’s

• In heavy use by surrounding Associations with a portion of local market share
• Sentrilock has invested time and effort in engaging agents in Twitter, Facebook and they have developed a library of “how-to” videos on YouTube.  This shows me an effort to engage their consumers (Realtors) and an ability to use progressive tools. (If Supra has these tools, I couldn’t find them)
• Support for Mac users (this is big for me…)
• Easy to use update system
• Credit Card type entrance key that is easy to carry and maintain
• “Cradle” for the card is a very lightweight / portable card reader that I can carry in my laptop bag, so that updating my card can be done anywhere.  This eliminates the bulky cradle or need for a telephone line.
• The user control and interaction on the website is easy and feature-rich.
• The entry card would not need to be charged with power each day, unlike Supra

Con’s

• The biggest problem I have with Sentrilock is their lockboxes.  The boxes are bulky and sluggish for entry. 
• The Sentrilock boxes have a “One Day Code” feature, which I’ve added to the Con list because I don’t believe that agents will truly vet the person calling for an entry key.  Anyone can go to DPOR and grab the name of an active agent…  (We’ll address ways to make this box safe in another post) The “One Day Code” feature makes this expensive system little more than a combo box.
• The cost of this system is a bit higher than Supra
• The additional fee for the Card Reader is excessive.  Similar readers are sold for $20 online and various other locations.
• There will be some cost to the Association to covert and that means dues money will most likely need be used.
• Reported system failures while trying to access boxes
• Company is still fairly new and hasn’t shown the corporate history of GE

This is of course, not an exhaustive list, but rather a good starting point for conversation. 

Ultimately, the things I like about Sentrilock (Online interface and engagement, Mac support etc…) can easily be done by Supra.  My only real contention is having to wait for contract renewal to get better products or services that Supra may have to offer.  This may be a consideration that can be explored as the Workgroup looks at benefits to either service. 

For now, we’re in a two-box system.  Professionals who have an extended market area reach will need to pay the extra $170 (estimate) a year to sell properties regionally instead of in locally.  It’s a small cost of doing business for the ability to provided extended services.

Almost everyone that I have talked to about the upcoming conversion has strong feelings.  Sharing those feelings with your Brokers and the Association would be helpful to those chosen to make the final decision.

Issues with Combo Lockboxes

Many calls and e-mails have been sent to the Association Staff recently regarding issues with combination boxes.  These boxes create a great deal of liability, so I am posting an article below written by Sarah Louppe Petcher.  Ms. Petcher is a staff attorney at NVAR and has written this opinion.  The article references the predominate lockbox system of NVAR, but most of the policies mirror those of our own Supra system. 

It’s important to remember that of the three boards using Sentrilock systems (Greater Piedmont, Prince William and Northern Virginia), only Northern Virginia is not currently allowing “one-day codes” on their lockboxes.  The other Associations are issuing these codes upon request.  This makes it an important question to ask when scheduling showings, “Which Association hosts your Sentrilock system".  This makes the type of lockbox shown in MLS almost useless and compels the agent to call the lister for clarification almost every time.  Don’t assume that the physical location of the lockbox dictates the primary association of the agent.  Agents in FAAR, GPAAR, PWAR and NVAR seem to go all over the region listing homes.

NVAR’s Opinion Article

It has recently come to the attention of the Board of Directors that the use of combination boxes by members has reached epidemic proportions. To this end, we reprint this July/August 2008 Update Magazine Q&A with some enhancements to help our members understand the risks associated with the use of a combination box.

1. First, A Little Clarification:

The use of combination boxes is not regulated by our Regional Rules and Regulations for the Sentrilock Lockbox System for Realtor® Members (lockbox rules). Lockboxes on the other hand, which are available for purchase through NVAR, are covered by the lockbox rules.
What does this mean for Realtors®? First, the level of protection offered for the owners of a property differs. Access to properties with lockboxes is limited to Realtors® and their clients. In contrast, while MRIS restricts the publication of combination box combinations to the “Agent Remarks” field, there are no regulations preventing agents from publishing these codes on other Web sites, such as Craig’s List. Once the code is published, anyone can access the property at any time without leaving a record of it.
When someone enters a property through a lockbox, there is a record of the visit. Each SentriCard® is assigned to one agent and thus the owner can trace who has entered his or her property. Since combination boxes are not regulated, their use is unchecked, whereas lockbox rules violations can be brought to the attention of the Board and compliance can be enforced through NVAR’s Grievance Procedures.

So why are some owners requiring the use of a combination box? There are some advantages. Since the boxes are not regulated, the owner or the agent can give the combination out to all who need access to the property without having a representative present. The contractor, home inspector and appraiser can all access the property conveniently. On the other hand, the lockbox rules require that the agent, who owns the lockbox key, be present and secure the property upon the departure of these contractors.
Agents who elect to place a combination box on a property and publish the access code on a publicly accessible Web site may be facilitating unauthorized access to the property. By way of example: A house is listed for sale, the listing agent advertises the listing on Craig’s List and includes the access code on the ad. Any member of the public may now enter the property, whether for real estate-related activities or not. They could be entering the property for other reasons, including vandalism and general mayhem. The listing agent has no control over access to the property and no way of knowing who comes in and out.
In addition to these general problems associated with the use of a combination box, consider the following:

2. The Use Of Combination Boxes And The Listing Agreement:

The NVAR listing agreement specifically provides that you, the agent, will use a lockbox, not a combination box on your listing:

F) Broker shall show the Property during reasonable hours to prospective buyers and shall accompany or accommodate, as needed, other real estate licensees, their prospective buyers, inspectors, appraisers, exterminators and other parties necessary for showings and inspections of the Property, to facilitate and/or consummate the sale of the Property. Broker shall install an electronic keybox on the Property to allow access and showings by real estate licensees who are authorized to use the electronic keybox system by area Realtor® Associations. (NVAR Form K1336, page 3)

What does that mean for you? Unless you have modified the listing agreement with your client to allow the use of a combination box, as soon as you install a combination box on the property, you have breached your obligations under the listing agreement. Some may ask, so what?
The listing agreement specifically protects agents from liability associated with the listing of a property:

C. Seller Assumption of Risk. The Seller retains full responsibility for the property, including all utilities, maintenance, physical security and liability until title to the property is transferred to purchaser. Seller is advised to take all precautions for safekeeping of valuables and to maintain appropriate property and liability insurance through Seller’s own insurance company. Broker is not responsible for the security of the property or for inspecting the property on any periodic basis. If the property is or becomes vacant during the Listing Period, Seller must notify Seller’s home owner’s insurance company and request a “Vacancy Clause” to cover the property. In consideration of the use of Brokers services and facilities and of the facilities of any Multiple Listing Service, the Seller and Seller’s heirs and assigns hereby release the Broker, sales associates accompanying buyers or prospective buyers, any Multiple Listing Service and the Directors, Officers and employees thereof, including officials of any parent Association of REALTORS®, except for malfeasance on the part of such parties, from any liability to the Seller for vandalism, theft or damage of any nature whatsoever to the Property or its contents that occurs during the Listing Period. Seller waives any and all rights, claims and causes of actions against them and holds them harmless for any Property damage or personal injury arising from the use or access to the Property by any persons during the Listing Period. (NVAR Form K1336, page

As you can see, the listing agreement shifts the risk to the seller for any vandalism, property damage and personal injury that the seller may suffer as a result of his or her property being listed by the agent. However, if you place a combination box on the property, your client may now argue that he did not agree to assume the risk associated with your use of a combination box and thus the risk may shift back to you.

3. The Use Of Combination Boxes And Your E&O Insurance:

You should consider checking your E&O insurance policy for any coverage exemptions. Some policies may specifically decline coverage if you fail to abide by your contractual obligations and thus may decline to cover you for any damage that the seller has incurred as a result of your use of a combination box on their property.

The Fredericksburg area is on the “fringe” of  three different regional ML systems (MRIS, Richmond & Charlottesville).  Two different lockbox providers are used – GE’s Supra & NAR’s Sentrilock.  Each association (FAAR, PWAR, NVAR, RAR, etc) has its own contract with the lockbox provider of its choice and controls its own lockboxes and keys.  So, someone with a Supra key issued by FAAR would not be able to use it to access a Supra lockbox issued by CAAR or RAR unless it was programmed by that association to do so.
The following is a breakdown of which area association is using which type of box and what areas they cover:

* PWAR – Prince William Area (Sentrilock)
* NVAR – Northern Virginia Area (Sentrilock)
* GPAAR – Greater Piedmont Area (Sentrilock)
* DAAR – Dulles Area (Supra)
* FAAR – Fredericksburg Area (Supra)
* CAAR – Charlottesville Area (Supra)
* RAR – Richmond Area (Supra)

County breakdowns (other than PWAR, DAAR & NVAR which are obvious):
Warrenton, Rappahannock, Culpeper  – GPAAR Sentrilock
Stafford, Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania, King George – FAAR Supra
Caroline – A mix of FAAR Supra and RAR Supra
Albemarle, Charlottesville, Greene, Nelson, – CAAR Supra
Madison and Orange (including Lake of the Woods) – a mix of FAAR Supra, CAAR Supra and GPAAR Sentrilock
Louisa – A mix of FAAR Supra, GPAAR Sentrilock, CAAR Supra, and RAR Supra

What lockboxes you buy and which key you will use – or multiples thereof – is a business decision YOU need to make. 
Where do you do business? 
What areas do you cover? 
Will you be showing a lot of property in an area not covered by your key system? 
If you are not going to buy lockboxes in another coverage area, are you willing to meet agents to give them access to the property? 
If you list a property in Warrenton and use a FAAR lockbox, are you adequately representing your client? 
Those of you working with REOs may want to check your zip code lists to make sure you really do “cover” an area. 
Would it be more prudent of you to refer your client to an agent who covers that area? 

And, before you throw up your hands and declare war against electronic lockboxes and vow to only use combo boxes, think again.  The NVAR listing agreement (ERS – section 9, item F) states “that the Broker will install an electronic keybox on the Property to allow access and showings by real estate licensees who are authorized to use the electronic keybox system by area REALTOR Associations.”

Also, when showing property, you will want to closely check the MLS sheet before going.  The showing instructions are supposed to note whether it is on a Supra or Sentrilock system.  If the showing instructions are not clear, you may want to call the agent to verify.

There will be some confusion in the upcoming months as the conversions take place but things WILL settle down eventually.  Stay tuned to the FAAR Forum – you can find it, and other timely announcements, at www.FAARmembers.com.

Three surrounding associations convert key system this month

Hopefully, by now brokers and their agents have had some time to discuss and found an appropriate business solution to the upcoming key system change that takes place this month for Prince William (PWAR), Northern Virginia (NVAR) and Greater Piedmont Associations (GPAAR).

Since FAAR is still under contract with SUPRA until 2011 it will NOT convert to Sentrilock in the near future. During the next year and half FAAR’s leadership will monitor how well the Sentrilock products perform and will make a decision whether to stay with SUPRA or convert to Sentrilock. The decision will be made with member input, before the termination of the SUPRA contract.

Need a Sentricard (key)?

Because the three Sentrilock Associations are offering special conversion rates to non-members NOW is the time to decide whether a Sentrilock system is the right decision for your business. If you do business extensively in Prince William, Northern Virginia and Greater Piedmont areas then getting the Sentrilock key may be to your advantage. It you primarily work in the FAAR geographic area of the City of Fredericksburg and the Counties of Spotsylvania, Stafford, King George and Caroline than you may not see the need to have the additional key. FAAR members in Louisa, Orange and Westmoreland will need to examine their business practices also. In any case, you are not required to join a Sentrilock Association to purchase a Sentricard (key). You will be classified as a non-member key holder.

Special Sentrilock rates for Non-Members- limited time only!

PWAR- $165, Cost increases to $190 after 6-30-09
GPARR- $160 plus an Activation Fee
NVAR- $99.75, Cost increases to $150 after1-30-09

Sentrilock boxes are around $100. SUPRA boxes from those converting Associations can be transferred to FAAR.

I have attach Key Only Membership Costs graph listing all the rates including the rates FAAR is offering agents to transfer their lease to FAAR.

Get a Sentricard at FAAR
At the end of January, all three Associations are coming to FAAR to sell the Sentrilock system.

The dates are as follows-
PWAR- January 28, 10-3 pm at FAAR
GPAAR- January 29, 10-3 pm at FAAR
NVAR- January 30, 10-3 pm at FAAR

Please remember that all service including the purchase of boxes must be through the Association from which you purchased the key.

PWAR offers a day code
PWAR will institute a Day Code system whereby agents with a SUPRA key can call the listing agent and get a code to open Sentrilock boxes for a period of time. NVAR and GPAAR are not offering that convenience. Be prepared to encounter Sentrilock boxes after January 6, which is the first day of the NVAR conversion.

The conversion dates

NVAR- January 6, 7, 8, 13-17, 2009
Non-members can make arrangements to visit the Fairfax or Herndon Centers to purchase the Sentricard after the conversion dates but before 1-30-09 if they want to take advantage of the special rate. Please call to confirm this information. Location addresses and directions can be found on their website- www.nvar.com. Secondary members to NVAR have received communication from the Association to register for a conversion date.
Association # 703-207-3200

GPAAR- January 16, 2009
Non-members are welcome to purchase a Sentricard at the conversion or at the Association office in Warrenton. The special rate ends 1-30-09.
Germanna Community College
18121 Technology Drive
Culpeper, VA 22701
540-937-2900
Association Office #1-540-347-4866.

PWAR- January 21, 22, 2009
Non-members can purchase a Sentricard after January 19 at the PWAR office, 9213 Center St. in Manassas. Call PWAR to confirm the information before making the trip. The special rate ends 6-30-09.
Association Office #-1-703-368-8177

How will agents access SUPRA boxes?

We suspect that many of the agents from these Sentrilock Associations will transfer their SUPRA key lease to FAAR or one of the other Associations using SUPRA products- the Dulles Area Association of REALTORS® (DAAR) and the Blue Ridge Association of REALTORS® (BRAR). Another option to Sentrilock users, which provides less security for sellers, is placing a combination lockbox on the property.
DAAR and BRAR have decided to stay with SUPRA. DAAR has already converted to the next generation of SUPRA keys, the ActiveKey and BRAR will convert on February 2. The SUPRA DKey/EKey and the newer ActiveKey will open all blue SUPRA I-boxes.

This is a lot to digest and FAAR’s leadership is saddened that doing business will now be more complicated.

There has been a lot of conversation lately surrounding the lockbox changes and use of Combo boxes as dictated by REO companies. Jeanette Newton, CEO of Dulles Area Association of REALTORS® has offered her opinion of why agents shouldn’t use combo-boxes. Please read.

Update on the conversion of PWAR, GPAAR and NVAR to Sentrilock

In January 2009 Prince William (PWAR), Greater Piedmont (GPAAR) and the Northern Virginia (NVAR) Associations of REALTORS® will be converting from the SUPRA key box system to Sentrilock. FAAR does feel your pain about this complication to your business and has worked with all the Associations to find ways to minimize the transition.

Some FAAR members may decide to carry the additional key and purchase Sentrilock boxes if they do a lot of business in those Associations areas. The dates for the conversion are the following:

• NVAR- January 9, 2009
• GPAAR- January 16, 2009
• PWAR- January 21, 22, 2009

Sentrilock pricing/SUPRA pricing listed

The Associations’ pricing to lease the Sentrilock system is attached. Also on the spreadsheet is pricing for agents who wish to transfer their SUPRA lease to FAAR, the Dulles or Blue Ridge Associations. FAAR will be at PWAR and the Greater Piedmont conversion to facilitate that transfer. A new SUPRA lease will be executed. Sentrilock boxes are estimated to be from $89 to $99.

PWAR/GPAAR offers Sentrilock system at FAAR office in January

In January both Prince William and the Greater Piedmont Associations will send representatives to the FAAR office to offer lease agreements for the Sentrilock system. (NVAR is not going to other Association offices to offer Sentrilock.)This will save FAAR members the trip to either the conversion locations or the Association offices. The dates TBA.

Day Code only from PWAR

In earlier talks with the converting Associations the Day Code feature of the Sentrilock system was going to be offered as an option to SUPRA system keyholders. A FAAR member would call the listing brokerage office and get a code that would open a box on a particular house for a specified number of hours. While that plan is time consuming and not convenient it does allow entry without a Sentrilock key. However, of the three converting Associations PWAR is now the only one who will offer that feature.

Deep discounts on slightly used I-Boxes

FAAR plans to purchase lightly worn SUPRA boxes from one of the converting Associations. The boxes will be available in January at a reduced rate. SUPRA will honor the warranty on the used boxes. Stay tuned for the pricing! FAAR’s key service in the future FAAR’s contract with SUPRA expires in 2011. Over the next year or so FAAR will observe the effectiveness of the Sentrilock system. We will also invite both SUPRA and Sentrilock to make presentations to the members. FAAR plans to survey the membership for their input before Leadership makes the decision. SUPRA currently offers, in new contracts, the wireless Activekey what doesn’t need to be placed on a cradle. This is technology that Sentrilock does not offer at the moment. The final decision will take into account technology, effectiveness and pricing. Click Here for Key Fee Schedule

Today I decided to preview two homes that came on the market within the past 24 hours.  My trip was to be about 26 miles of travel.  At today’s gas prices I looked forward to spending quite a bit of money and a moderate amount of time.

Decided to preview a home in Clearview Heights (in Stafford County) first and then travel over to Fox Point in Spotsylvania County.  The home in Stafford County was listed by a firm whose office is in Annandale and the one in Spotsylvania is listed by a local company.

The one in Stafford county said that access could be gained by “Lockbox-Frnt Dr,Lockbox-Supra,Vacant” while the one in Spotsylvania showed I could get in by “Lockbox-Supra,Show Anytime,Sign on Property,Vacant.”

Common to both was “Lockbox-Supra” as you can read.  However, when I went to the home in Clearview I learned quickly that I could not access the home; the lockbox was the type where you had to place a keypad in a recessed area to retrieve the key.  The one In Fox Point worked fine with my Palm device through an electronic beam.  Needless to say I was frustrated at the first location since I could not get in since I did not bring along my Display Key.

After entering the second home I found that there was no access the “wing” (appears to be a finished garage) at the right side of the home; it was not accessible from the main home.  The key in the lockbox would not open the lock at the door of the wing.  Searched the home for a key that might open it but none was found!

Frustrating?  To say the least!  We need to show that access is by an electronic lockbox (one that provides access through a beam).  There is an option for that type and we need to use it.  By the way, I am assuming that is the proper description for the “blue” lockboxes that most of us in FAAR use.

Right now I am going to assume that any homes that are listed by a NVAR office do not have the “blue” lockbox.  We are in an area where the local association issues the blue lockboxes to its Realtor® members.  Appears to me that people who list home in our area would comply with the local custom if they wish it to be shown by all of the local agents.

Let’s get to the second home; the one in Fox Point.

If you have a listing that your fellow Realtors® will not be able to preview or show completely then provide comments that are appropriate for the situation.  Is there a key to the shed available in the home?  Is there a key available to the wing that is under separate lock?  Where is that key?

What are your thoughts on these issues?  Am I being too picky?