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!

March: Over-Exposed Showings

My Big Open House Debut

It was the biggest day of my new career in real estate: I was hosting my first open house for my very own listing. The only catch? It was my house.

I started preparing early. I spruced up the home and hung a sign rider on the yard sign announcing the open house: 1 to 4 p.m. on Sunday. But I made a rookie mistake — I focused so much on the house that I didn’t leave enough time to get myself ready. So I decided to take a shower to freshen up.

About 15 minutes before 1 p.m., I heard the front door open. I panicked as I stood in the master bedroom with the door wide open in my birthday suit, unable to reach the bedroom door. Footsteps quickly approached. “Noooo!” I screamed.

But it was too late. The woman boldly walked into the house and up to the bedroom. There she stood — and there I stood, feeling very underdressed. — Tammo Wilkens, Prudential California Realty in Rancho Cucamonga

Not the Traditional Showing

I had a listing that was occupied by the owner only part-time, and a nice young couple called to schedule a showing. We drove over to the house and I knocked at the door a few times. No answer, no car in the driveway … so we went ahead inside.

I showed the house to the couple, leading them into the living room, moving on to the kitchen, and then the master bedroom — whoa! The home owner was in bed, and he wasn't alone. Not exactly the “showing” the buyers had in mind. I apologized as we rushed out of the home.

This awkward situation taught me a valuable lesson: Be much more cautious when entering a listing. And as for the owner, he learned that it was time to install a doorbell. — Mike Mason, Keller Williams Realty, Miami

Are We Interrupting?

While I was working as a salesperson for a resort and retirement community, I was showing condos to two older ladies who were interested in buying a second home. I made appointments prior to most of the showings, but one of the condos was vacant and had no listed phone number. I didn’t think there would be any problem if I just showed up.

Boy was I wrong. We walked into the vacant condo and, lo and behold, it wasn’t so vacant after all. The owners’ grandson was in a sleeping bag in the middle of the living room … oh, and there’s his girlfriend! (FYI: They were definitely not sleeping.) Well, that’s enough to view of that condo! Let’s move on to the next one? — Alta Graham, Tarbell, REALTORS®, Upland, Calif.

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

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