Lockbox activity rebounds
After a few down weeks, lockbox activity rebounded in the week of August 3-9 compared to the prior week. In Washington, the number of times RMLS™ subscribers opened Supra lockboxes increased 18.2% and in Oregon, activity was up 8.8%.
Click the chart for a larger view (Washington, top; Oregon, bottom)
Archive
View an archive of the Supra lockbox statistical reports on Flickr.
Downward trend continues
Comparing July 20, 2009 through August 2, 2009 the number of times RMLS™ subscribers opened Supra lockboxes decreased 15% in Washington and 5.4% in Oregon.
Click the chart for a larger view (Oregon, left; Washington, right)
Archive
View an archive of the Supra lockbox statistical reports on Flickr.
Activity continues to slide, slightly
Comparing July 13, 2009 through July 26, 2009 the number of times RMLS™ subscribers opened Supra lockboxes decreased 1.4% in Washington and 1.9% in Oregon.
Click the chart for a larger view (Oregon, top; Washington, bottom)
Archive
View an archive of the Supra lockbox statistical reports on Flickr.
Here’s a few hot weather tips I came up with for real estate agents as we all cope with a potential high of 107 today here in Portland!
1. If buyers close on 100+ degree day, offer a window A/C unit as a closing gift (good luck finding one right now, though).
2. Selling agents: if your listing has A/C or is A/C ready – make sure you’re showing those houses now! The heat should really make that selling point stick in the buyer’s mind (and their shirt stick to their back).
3. Keep a cooler full of water bottles for your clients in your trunk when showing homes.
4. Always offer to purchase a Slurpee for your clients.
5. If you happen to be rolling in a convertible while showing homes – apply sunscreen between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., or put the top up.
PS: If you use an ActiveKEY, make sure not to leave it in a hot car for long:
While, the number of lockboxes that were accessed dipped during the week of the 4th of July, they seem to have rebounded nicely. Comparing June 29, 2009 through July 12, 2009 the number of times RMLS™ subscribers opened Supra lockboxes increased 23.9% in Washington and 21.9% in Oregon.
Click the chart for a larger view (Oregon, left; Washington, right)
Archive
View an archive of the Supra lockbox statistical reports on Flickr.
Far fewer lockboxes were accessed over the 4th of July weekend than on a typical Saturday or Sunday. Therefore, comparing June 22, 2009 through July 5, 2009 the number of times RMLS™ subscribers opened Supra lockboxes decreased 21.4% in Washington and 21.9% in Oregon.
Click the chart for a larger view (Oregon, left; Washington, right)
Archive
View an archive of the Supra lockbox statistical reports on Flickr.
As you know, we’ve been tracking the number of times RMLS™ subscribers open Supra lockboxes in Oregon and Washington. Here’s how it looks mid-way through 2009.
In Oregon, May was the high point with nearly 109,000 opens. For the year so far, total, there were 520,900 lockbox opens. 
The same held true in Southern Washington, as May was tops with over 20,000 opens. The total for the year so far was 97,100 lockbox opens.
These numbers should be interesting to watch as we head into the typically hot summer months of July and August. Follow all the latest lockbox activity on our Flickr page.
Comparing Supra lockbox openings by RMLS™ subscribers between June 15, 2009 and June 28, 2009 there was a 7.7% increase in Oregon and a 1.4% increase in Washington from the previous week.
Click the chart for a larger view (Oregon, left; Washington, right)
As you try to stay cool in the hot weather, keep in mind this friendly ActiveKEY battery tip from Supra:“Temperature extremes can affect battery performance. If the ActiveKEY is below 0° C (32° F) or above 40 ° C (104° F), it will not charge. During very cold or hot times of the year, bring your ActiveKEY in from your car at night and between showings.”
Image courtesy of Peter Miller
Comparing Supra lockbox openings by RMLS™ subscribers between June 8, 2009 and June 21, 2009 there was a 6% decrease in Oregon and a 1.9% increase in Washington from the previous week.
Click the chart for a larger view (Oregon, left; Washington, right)