Why Husbands Shouldn’t Show Houses

My husband is the absolutely world’s greatest guy – he has been best man at more weddings than I can count, and all of my girlfriends call him up when they need advice. At my sons soccer and little league games no one ever knows my name. I am always just Coach Glen’s wife. If you are sick, you couldn’t ask for a better caretaker – from homemade chicken soup to a midnight run for throat lozenges. And he picks out the most wonderful Christmas presents in the world – the kind where you didn’t even know you needed it or wanted it, but after you got it you couldn’t imagine how you ever lived without it. So I thought it was a terrific idea when Glen decided he wanted to get his Las Vegas real estate license. Everyone loves Glen and trusts him, so it was a no brainer. Not only could I send him out to show Las Vegas homes for sale when I was over booked, it would also give us something more that we could share in our lives.

I quickly noticed that clients treated Glen much differently than they did me when we were out together. When they had a joke or a story, they turned to Glen. When they wanted to ask a serious real estate question, they turned to old boring me. They asked his opinion on whether he liked the house personally. They asked me if the price was right. They asked him where all the closest restaurants and golf courses were. They asked me about crime statistics. After a closing, he got the invitations to the box seats at the National Rodeo Finals. I got a nice thank you card and a basket of fruit.

But I was totally okay with that. No one appreciates my husband more than I do, and we make a terrific team if I do say so myself.

Then late one night I got a phone call from a previous client who had bought several very high end Las Vegas luxury homes from me in the past. His son, “Mark,” was in town for the week and he needed to buy a home right away. Immediately I raced upstairs to the computer and started searching the Las Vegas MLS for just the right properties. “Mark” wanted to go out the next morning, so we wouldn’t have time to preview like we normally did.

The next morning we picked up “Mark” promptly at nine and started our tour. The first home we went to had several small dogs, and “Mark” refused to enter, confessing that he was absolutely terrified of even the tiniest dog. And wouldn’t you know it, the second home had a small chihuahua inside as well. Again we had to explain to the seller why we would not be viewing their home and on we went.

I figured at least we would get “Mark” inside the third home, which was vacant, so I could finally get a feel for what he did and didn’t like. Usually after one or two homes I can almost pick the house out without my buyer being present, but I still didn’t have a clue with “Mark.” We pulled up to the house, rang the bell, knocked, unlocked the door and shouted “Las Vegas Realtors” at the top of our lungs. Yes, the home really was vacant and there was no furniture to be seen.

As we toured through the home, I could tell “Mark” was really excited about it. He was even placing his furniture in the various rooms, the most positive of buying signs. Last but not least, we headed for the backyard.

As we were getting ready to open the sliding glass door, “Mark” came to a screeching halt and pointed out an extra large dog dish on the back patio. But he was so excited about the house, you could tell he really wanted to see that backyard. Glen bravely volunteered to check it out. Glen went out the back door and disappeared around the corner of the house. “Mark” and I had just started out behind him when we heard a loud “ROWF!” and there came Glen, hightailing it back toward the door at full speed in what was obviously a parody of being chased. “Mark” literally mowed me down as he catapulted back into the kitchen. As I looked up from my position on the floor with a wry grin, Glen started laughing and explained to “Mark” that it was just a joke, and there really wasn’t any dog. Anyone else would have laughed with Glen – it was obviously done in friendship and good humor.

But old “Mark” didn’t think it was too funny. About 10 minutes later he said he had to get back for another appointment and that was the last we saw of him. When I finally called his father a couple of days later he said “Mark” would be using another Las Vegas real estate agent and I never heard from him again either.

So as wonderful as Glen is, that was the last time I had him go with me to show houses. Now I only let him meet the clients after we are in escrow. It may not be as much fun, but it is safer.