8 of the Craziest Real Estate Showing Stories

Over the years of selling real estate you know there are some crazy stories out there. From naked homeowners to sex swings in bedrooms, the crazy stories don't end at the end of the night. Here are a few fun stories from real estate professionals.

Marcus Brown - Portland on the Market

I toured a home with birds with a buyer once. While that may not seem unusual, it was unusual to have all the birds out of their cages. There were literally about 20 parrots, cockatiels, and other birds flying through the home landing on everything including us. Needless to say, the noise and the filth was everywhere as well. I was just worried one would fly out as we tried to leave!

AD Whitehurst - Panama City Beach Condos

Showing a vacant house is always a crapshoot and you never know what you're going to get, especially on homes that have been vacant for a long time. I showed a client a vacant house and found it was not so vacant. We were greeted by a dog at the front door and a well-laid out and furnished house. Apparently, there was a squatter in the house but instead of it being in shambles, they had furnished it quite nicely... only to find out later it was all stolen furniture. No one was home but the house was staged pretty well!

Jackie Barikhan - Lake Forest CA Mortgage Officer

With so many people working on a real estate deal it can be somewhat confusing at times. I remember a deal where our sellers packed up and headed out to their new home only to get a call from escrow stating that the title agent they had been working with was recently fired due to poor work ethic and the new agent found a $150,000 lien against the house! The new homeowners had no idea and were currently on their way to, what they thought, was their new home. Luckily we were able to work everything out and push out closing a few more days. It helps to be in tight communication with all parties, ALL THE TIME.

Erika Phelan - Orlando Buyers Agent

We were showing some buyers a home in Orlando and when we knocked on the door, the owner wouldn't let us in. He said he was afraid we were going to steal all his stuff. I mentioned that this is what you do when you sell your house; you have to let people see it. He was so paranoid that he finally let us in but followed us really closely throughout the house telling us not to touch things, don't look at things, and if we would hurry up.  Needless to say, my buyer didn't want that house and I often wondered if he ever got it sold.

Karen Baker - Sunset Beach NC Realtor®

Dead body? That's what we thought when I showed a home for a client. We knocked on the door and after a few minutes of no answer I used the lockbox and entered the home. After touring around for some time we entered the bedroom to find a man sprawled on the bed in nothing but his underwear. I tried to call to him as we inched our way out of the room but he didn't move. I was worried so I went up to him and touched his shoulder but couldn't rouse him. I looked closer and it appeared he wasn't breathing. We began to get worried so I rolled him over to check his chest and he barely stirred. It seems he had indulged a little too much the night before and was just really hung over. I doubt he even remembered we were there.

Jane Goodrich - NY Photographer

In my work, I often take pictures of homes for the MLS. In one occasion I showed up to a home only to find it had been trashed by angry homeowners the night before. They were being foreclosed on and had literally taken it out on the house. There were feces everywhere, cement in the toilet, live wires hanging from the ceiling and smashed counters. I couldn't believe it. I know the agent wouldn't want pictures in this state. I got out of there fast for fear I would be their next victim.

Erika Rogers - St. George Real Estate Agent

Trying to get buyers and sellers on the same page is sometimes frustrating. I had a seller once that needed a couple days after closing to move out, which was stated in the contract. The buyers had other plans. They kept showing up every day or every other day taking measurements, asking to come in and check paint colors, and wanting to move items in. I kept informing them that they can't do that unless invited by the seller or the home is closed. It didn't stop them. So much so, they showed up in the middle of the night to start plowing up the backyard for a garden! To say they were in a hurry was an understatement.

Bruce Simon - West Bloomfield MI Homes

Holding an open house is always an adventure but never more so when I was holding one and a couple came through to look over the house. I let them browse and after a while, I didn't hear them in the house any longer. I searched the house to find them both in the shower, together, doing "showering" things... It was very awkward when I had to ask them to put their clothes on and leave. Ever since then I have casually shadowed any potential buyers through open houses.

You just never know how exciting the real estate industry can be!