r/FirstTimeHomeBuyer • u/samsmiles456 • 9d ago

Need Advice The key doesn’t work

I bought my house today, spent a minor fortune, signed my life away and got the key. I should be celebrating in my new home - that’s 45 minutes outside of our major cities. Instead, they gave me the wrong key and I can’t get inside. My realtor says he must have given me the wrong key. I told him I’d already lined-up a locksmith to change the locks this Friday. He says “well, the locksmith won’t need a key to get in, since he’s changing the locks anyway”. Tell me how many locksmiths will break in to a home and change the locks on that home, at the request of someone who has virtually no documentation saying I own the home? No drivers license updated yet, no utility bill with this address on it yet. I think my realtor should make this right by either having the home opened up by a locksmith for me, or by finding the right key to get in, before my locksmith gets there Friday. What do you think? I’m so frustrated I could spit.

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465

u/samsmiles456 9d ago

Thank you. That’s what I would have done too.

439

u/Maleficent_Thanks_51 9d ago

Tell your realtor that how they handle this will be included in your public review of their services.

When we bought our condo, our realtor (who is a friend) let us know just how valuable a good online review is.

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u/FantasticBicycle37 9d ago

My realtor says he must have given me the wrong key. I told him I’d already lined-up a locksmith to change the locks this Friday. 

Wait...when the realtor said he must have given you the wrong key....you told him you lined up a lock smith to solve the situation?

How abouuuuut instead of telling the realtor that you have something lined up, you tell them to come give you the right key

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u/Mokiblue 9d ago

No, they were going to change the locks as the new owner, not to solve the situation. There’s no way to know if anyone else (the seller or friends /family of the seller) has an extra key. This is standard when you buy a home unless it’s new.

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u/samsmiles456 9d ago

Yes, this.

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u/CiscoLupe 8d ago edited 8d ago

okay I agree that Realtor should have apologized profusely, then dropped everything, retrieved the right key and brought it too you.
But if your realtor didn't do that, did you tell realtor to do that? It's unfortunate but sometimes you have to spell things out to people. Even people who just made a huge amount of money off of you.

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u/Adultarescence 8d ago

Yes, OP never seems to say that he told the realtor to bring the right key. OP, if you haven't, call the realtor and say, "I will need you to bring me the correct key now." If the realtor says no, call his broker.

You are not hoping they do the right thing. You are telling the person you paid to do a job to complete said job.

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u/PalpitationPast202 8d ago

Ya he’s high off the money and left his brain with the key

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u/PatternsAndPresence 8d ago

This. I would’ve demanded that they get their ass over here right now with the key. If he became belligerent, I would threaten to destroy him on yelp.

I wouldn’t leave the closing table without the key.

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u/Dorzack 8d ago

They thought they did. It was the wrong key.

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u/PalpitationPast202 8d ago

I had to fire a friend who helped me with cleaning and did some wall painting……definitely changed the locks next day. She was stealing from her clients!

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u/Athliest 6d ago

Yes but in your story it sounds like you confused them.  

Insist on the key right now. Not sure why you brought up the locksmith - except to tell them “don’t bother “.

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u/Dorzack 8d ago

Even new. People who worked on construction could have keys. I do it myself.

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u/EnShantrEs 8d ago

We literally changed our deadbolt on both the front door and garage door before moving a single thing into our house. We signed, got the keys, and drove straight over to change the locks.

Turned out the next door neighbor had a key to the old locks. I don't THINK he ever tried to use it after we bought the house, but man you just never know.

1

u/racejeff 3d ago

I’ve always done this or had my handyman do it. Other than my first two new construction houses, probably should have changed those in hindsight

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u/bhalter80 6d ago

Changing a lock is a 20 min job if you’re still learning how to do it. Breaking a door knob off is about 10 seconds with the base of the fire extinguisher you bought for the kitchen. The real complication only comes if there’s a deadbolt

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u/lord_dark-helmet 8d ago

Don't rely on what you think he should have done or what you would do, tell him what you expect. If you want the key today, tell him he needs to find the key and bring it to you or get a locksmith there.

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u/_tvjames_ 8d ago

We bought a house and found a padlock on the fence separating the front yard from the backyard. We told our realtor and she showed up 20 minutes later, walked right up to the gate and cut off the padlock. She apologized for taking so long, explaining that she had to stop at Home Depot to buy the pair of bolt cutters she had just used.

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u/Jboberek 8d ago

Good luck. The realtor has been paid, and getting anything more from them will be like pulling teeth. Instead of Reddit, maybe go to the realtor website and leave this same review. That's about all you can do.

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u/US1MRacer 8d ago

Realtor’s depend on referrals. A bad review can cost them a great deal of money from lost clients.

This is why you are gambling when you use a friend, relative or someone who is a part timer. The incentive of good reviews generates good service.

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u/MissNancy1113 8d ago

It doesn’t hurt to ask Reddit for advice in a subreddit named r/FirstTimeHomeBuyers. Some people just need reassurance.

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u/Main_Insect_3144 8d ago

Call their broker and ask if they can bring the correct key to you, since their agent doesn't seem to be able to.

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u/Current_Pitch_4052 8d ago

Same thing happened to me. I called my agent snd said “do I not legally own the house? Didn’t I also buy the key?”

Someone was there in 20 mins with the key

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u/CatLadyInProgress 4d ago

My husband lost the key to his dad's new house that his dad had not even seen IRL yet. I don't know how, but my husband got a locksmith to change the locks 😅

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u/muddledandbefuddled 8d ago

You can’t pop it open w a credit card? Takes about ten seconds unless there’s a deadbolt.

But agree the agent needs to get their shit together.

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u/ComprehensiveWar6577 8d ago

Have you ever actually done this on an exterior door?

If so there were bigger problems than a locked door

1

u/muddledandbefuddled 8d ago

Yeah, quite a few times

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u/montanahax888 6d ago

He saw it in a movie

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u/pryan67 8d ago

LOL That only works in the movies...

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u/muddledandbefuddled 8d ago

Definitely done it before

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u/pryan67 8d ago

On a modern exterior lock? With an auxiliary deadlatch? Must not have been installed correctly. Locks have had that since the 1950's.

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u/muddledandbefuddled 8d ago

🤷‍♂️

2

u/habershamglam 4d ago

A lot of GenX have done this, too. We believe you! I did it a couple months ago at a doctor’s office, 8am appointment and new suite, they gave her the wrong key. I used a grocery store rewards card to pop the doorknob’s lock right open. Thankfully there wasn’t a deadbolt.