In the Trenches captures the odd and funny incidents that invariably happen in real estate. Here are the stories submitted this month from real estate professionals all over the country. Don't forget to submit your own funny story!

While You Were Sleeping

I was all set to show a couple and their four young girls some homes that fit their search criteria. The appointments were all set, the GPS was loaded, and I was MapQuest-ready.

We arrived at the first house, but there was no lockbox or even a sign in the yard. I walked around the house searching for a lockbox, and even left an irritated voicemail on the listing agent’s phone, saying that the home was obviously not ready for visitors.

Finally, I noticed the garage door was unlocked, so all seven of us entered. The home was not vacant as the listing had indicated, and a box of fresh donuts on the counter caught our eyes. The kids dashed out to the backyard to play on the trampoline while the parents and I toured the home.

The master bedroom was locked, and there was no getting in, even as I attempted to push it open. We opened another bedroom door and a very confused teenaged boy sat up in bed, looked at us blankly, and then plopped back into bed to continue his sleep.

We decided it was best to return to the home later, as the owners obviously weren’t ready for the property to be shown. As we pulled into the street, I noticed an identical home three doors down — with a For Sale sign and a lockbox.

Oops! At that point I realized we had just broken into a home.

— Bob Ream, ZipRealty, Austin, Texas

Buy or Else

I spent an afternoon driving a couple around town to look at a variety of houses, but nothing seemed to please them. It was turning into a frustrating day, to say the least. While driving to the next property, I rounded a corner and a gun rolled out from underneath my seat — my husband works for the Sheriff’s Department and he used my car the day before to work an off-duty job.

Immediately I pulled to the side of the road to get the weapon into a secure location. But I decided to inject a little humor into the situation to lighten the mood. I quipped to the buyers: “NOW … are you going to buy a house today or not?!”

We shared a laugh, and they didn’t frustrate me anymore that day. In fact, they ended up buying a house.

— Paula Bean, e-PRO®, Orlando Real Estate Professionals, director of relocation and training

Is That Man Dead?

In 2005, I was showing a property to a first-time home buyer in Oklahoma City. As we entered the home’s garage, we noticed a figure sitting inside a car. We approached with caution and lightly tapped on the window to announce our presence, but the man didn’t move. We knocked harder. Still, no movement.

In our terror of finding what appeared to be a deceased man, we bolted out of the house and called 9-1-1. My client was totally freaked out, as was I.

The police arrived shortly after, and went into the garage to investigate. Minutes later, they emerged laughing. The maintenance man had been snoozing on the job, and parked his car in the empty garage so his boss wouldn’t catch him.

— Sheila A. Hoppis, broker/owner, Hoppis Real Estate, Oklahoma City

The above submissions are actual stories submitted by readers. They’ve been edited for clarity and style.

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