This Laguna Beach Realtor Holds the Record

When It Comes to Embarrassing Moments, This Laguna Beach Realtor Holds the Record

They say ‘to err is human.’ One February 20, 2011, one Laguna Beach Realtor proved her humanity in spectacular form.

In the 15 years I’ve been in this profession, I never imagined anything like this could ever happen. Not in my wildest dreams. You see, for years I’ve been making tongue-in-cheek Home Break-In videos to showcase select Laguna Beach homes for sale. The irony is that I actually found myself in the kind of situation I’d been portraying in these productions. Only this was reality. You want to talk about embarrassing? You can still see traces of crimson on my face.
It all started out splendidly. Got a fantastic referral to this L.A. couple who wanted a second home in Laguna Beach. No problem,” I thought. “Plenty of choice Laguna Beach homes for sale.” I launched myself into full-scale power search and narrowed the field down to eight beauties.
When the couple arrived at my humble office, I was primed for major action. There I was decked out in spiffy ultra-professional pant suit and matching Hermes scarf. Tucked under my arm was a stack of Real Estate documents and books that could have filled the Library of Congress ten times over. And just for good measure I threw in a dazzling, 100-megawatt smile and a gracious offering of coffee. Yes, I was ‘Little Miss Professional. And come hell or high water, I was selling this lovely pair a Laguna Beach home.

Striding with an air of confidence, I guided the eager couple into my very important-looking, jet black Lexus sedan. I wasn’t taking any chances. I had this road master shined to gleaming perfection – even though a major rain storm would be roaring in soon.

The first Laguna Beach property I showed them didn’t quite cut it. I could see it in their faces. The house was gorgeous. But the traffic noise from Pacific Coast Hwy wasn’t exactly music to their ears. Fortunately, there would be no such issue with the next home I had in mind. A real stunner tucked away in a serene North Laguna community. It was the quintessential Laguna Beach cottage, complete with gated fence and spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean.
The couple’s reaction upon arriving at this Laguna Beach home confirmed my opinion. It was everything they had hoped for, and more. With all rockets firing, I whisked my clients to the front gate, unlocked it with the key given to me by the listing agent, and proudly lead them to the front door. I knew they were going to adore this place. Victory was in the air.
With a flourish, I guided the house key into the front door lock and twisted. To my surprise, the lock didn’t turn. I tried again. Same result. Feeling my face flush with embarrassment, I more insistently jiggled and turned the key. The stubborn lock didn’t budge. As I suppressed a howl of frustration, I heard my client’s’ wife cheerfully call out, “This one’s open!” The couple was standing by the apparently unlocked side door, which they had just opened, sans key. I shrugged to myself, “Guess the owner preferred we enter through that door. Anyway, at least we’re getting in.”

We stepped inside full anticipation. Two seconds later my jaw dropped about ten feet. I had never seen anything like this before. Strewn everywhere was a clutter of groceries and just-baked goods, such as breads and cookies. Somebody had been busy in the kitchen. Now I have to admit, the aroma wafting up from this feast was sending my senses soaring. But culinary chaos isn’t exactly high on the list of the ways to impress homebuyers. I was stymied. How could I explain this to my clients? All the while, the family poodle kept yapping at us in a friendly way. Oh well. At least somebody was making us feel welcomed.

As Mr. and Mrs. Client were wandering up to the master bedroom, I happened to glance out the kitchen window. Approaching were a mother and her teenage daughter, apparently the owners of this fine albeit Laguna Beach home. “Hmm…They weren’t supposed to be here,” I thought. “That’s why the listing agent gave me the key.” The friendly greeting I expected from the mother and daughter didn’t take place. Instead, both looked at our little group with the kind of wide, astonished eyes normally reserved for UFO sightings.

“What are you doing here?” asked the woman.

“Showing your home,” I explained. “I did not think you were going to be home”

“But my house isn’t for sale.”

“Of course it is,” I insisted a bit self-righteously. “Here it is on the MLS sheet.” But as I looked at the address of the listed home, realization hit like a Mt. Everest avalanche. That address and the address of the Laguna Beach home we just happened to be in didn’t match. I had blundered into the wrong house! Yours truly zoomed from embarrassed so mortified in about two and a half nanoseconds.

If a hole had been handy, I would have crawled through at light speed. Reacting to all the drama, my clients did the next best thing. They made their escape through the back door. I, meanwhile, was left alone to fend for myself. I could feel myself sinking as I stammered a flurry of apologies and explanations.

To her credit, the owner happened to be a very understanding soul, and did her best to ease my embarrassment.

“How on earth did you get in?” she wondered.

“With the key I had used to open the gate,” I informed.

“You don’t need a key for the gate. It’s broken. Opens right up.”

OK. That explained the mystery of the front door that wouldn’t open. Realizing the best I could do in this situation was crawl away red-faced, I segued into a hasty retreat.

“Uh, excuse me,” I ventured. “I, um, better, uh, go find the right Laguna Beach home. With a gentle nod, she gave me the green light. I quickly slipped out through the front door. In the process, I bid her a fond farewell and added, “By the way, your homemade banana bread smelled fabulous!”

“Thank you,” smiled the bemused woman as she watched me flee.

Have any of you ever had a similar, extremely embarrassing on-the-job experience? I’d love to hear about it. You can share it with me on my blog. That way, at least I’ll know I’m not alone.
And, of course, if you’re ready to enjoy the beauty and comfort of one of the many Laguna Beach homes for sale, I’ll be delighted to assist you. As one of the area’s premier Coastal Property Experts, I can answer all of your questions and help you discover the numerous opportunities the Laguna Beach Real Estate market has to offer.

Feel free to contact me at 949.922.8490 or hillary@thecoastalpropertyexperts.com.

Regards,
Hillary Caston