SAN FRANCISCO—KRON 4 news was the first to report that Cathy and Ben Couillard’s San Francisco home was recently burglarized. Thieves broke into their lockbox on their front door when they were asleep in their bed. According to the San Francisco Police Department, the suspects are still at large.
Rose Hadaway, a broker associate with Coldwell Banker Solano Pacific, spoke to San Francisco News about lockboxes, which are not a hazard to home security for several reasons.
“I think they are an extra level of protection” Hadaway said. “Supra lockboxes are purchased by an agent. We are fingerprinted, we have to have specific security measures before we can obtain a lockbox. In my opinion, they are very safe. We actually have the ability to program these lockboxes to be able to open it at a specific time, and close at a specific time. We are able to program it so we know what agent showed the property and when they showed it. We also have an extra level of protection. It’s called CBS Code, and that’s Call Before Showing. We have been using this code along with the lockbox so that before you can actually open the lockbox you have to get a code from the specific listing agent, so it’s just an extra level of protection.”
If a homeowner is startled by break-ins, they have another option that is still safe, according to Hadaway.
“If a seller decides they do not want to have a lockbox, and it is their option, then it would have to be by appointment only. A showing would have to be by appointment only. They can certainly ask their agent to be there present. We have to obviously abide by all COVID-19 restrictions and guidelines. But that would be the only other option if the seller did not want a lockbox.”
The San Francisco Police Department Burglary Detail could not be reached for comment.
