Great Blog, Thanks for sharing with us, PBEL City
I would 1000% buy a house that had cats or kittens at the open house. When I was searching for a home to buy (in Marin County, northern California), it was unequivocally delightful to encounter a feline resident at an open house. I fell in love so many times.
1
I'm stunned by the number of negative responses. I inferred from the article that the listing owners are asked first. It's also clear that the larger adoption events take place outdoors, not in the house or condo, so there wouldn't be any "masking" of odors. I do sympathize with prospective buyers with phobias or allergies; I'm sure the real estate agents would temporarily remove the animals if told that. There are so many adoptable animals. I applaud the realtors who have expanded opportunities for some of the dogs and rabbits to find forever homes.
4
If I see some monster - and that's what they are - using animals as a prop to sell property? I call the police and the SPCA. These monsters belong in prison for this!
@Sparky
Did you even read the article? I didn't see anything suggesting that the dogs or rabbits were "props."
3
After this weeks's terrible news stories, it's nice to read an uplifting and heartwarming article like this one. Love the photos too.
9
A few months ago at my uncle's wake there was a dog at the funeral home. The funeral director said he was a "comfort dog".
3
I have a cat and I would not allow any people coming to an open house to bring in their dogs....It amazes me that potential buyers actually expect to bring a dog into a stranger's home?!!
I had a realtor who spent more time talking about her rescue dogs (they weren't even there) than talking about the features in my home during open houses--you can imagine how long that relationship lasted...
4
I'm really disgusted by this practice. Using shelter animals to make money? Not to mention, close to 50% of the population prefers cats. A dog at an open house would send me right out the door.
1
Why not add this article's photos to the SPCA's television commercials featuring abused animals?
2
Over twenty-five years ago when my husband and I were looking for our first house in New Jersey, we were greeted at the door by an elderly beagle. The owners (who had lost control of their pet) were upset, but we (who had been living in apartments that allowed nothing larger than a ferret) told them it was okay; we loved dogs. Half-joking, they replied that if we bought the house they'd throw in the dog for free. We looked at a few other places but did, eventually, buy that house. Since the owners were divorcing and couldn't keep their pet, we took Beasley, who became the first of many beloved rescue dogs. Okay, we had to rip up the stained carpets and refinish the scratched doors, but we really didn't care. Some prospective buyers might be put off by animals, but for us, it was a selling point.
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@Dog Lover thank you!, you are beautiful people! especially after the shocking hateful comments for story that I thought was also lovely
4
If I were to go to an open house, the last thing I'd want is to be greeted at the door by a dog. (A cat cuddled up somewhere sleeping would be fine, but please, no dogs!) The doggie odor would mask other smells in the home (cat urine, dog accidents, mold, old cooking smells, etc.) that might influence my decision on a purchase.
Not everyone likes dogs or cats or even bunnies. The property should be offered on its own merits and no realtor should make appeals to the emotions by staging an animal in it.
3
If these realtors are really that interested in helping animals and not just selling homes, with the seller's permission, they can place posters of the rescue animals in a prominent location in their home with information about adopting them. They can also offer to donate a percentage of their commission to rescue groups. This way they could responsibly 'broker' an adoption and/or provide aid to animals in need. While these realtors intentions may be well-placed (no pun intended), animals should never be exploited nor treated as props. They deserve more respect and sensitivity.
7
Rumor has it brokers want to bring children that are looking forward to being adopted next. Not only will this break a prospective buyers heart but if they talk it up possibly some of these buyers would adopt . Go for the double and have a prospective adopted child walk an adopted dog and you might sell an apartment and achieve a double adoption. The buyer may have to actually ask, feel and even be educated about the current problem to develop a contact with the broker to achieve a sale. But that commission couldn’t come sooner. That’s the shock effect of this article. Or bring a homeless person to the showing and offer to donate part of your commission to get this person a hotel room for a month. . Anything to get the sale in this market.
6
Would the next step be to bring human children in need of adoption to real-estate listings? I do not support the use of any living being as a prop.
"Impulse adopters" was a phrase I read in one of the comments and as a family that has rescued and raised two "impulse adoptee" dogs, the phrase made my insides clench. They are not a bar of chocolate placed strategically at the checkout counter to trigger "impulse." They are creations of god, with intelligence and emotions.
Buying / renting a house is a big enough decision by itself. Let's not include pet adoption that are in themselves life-changing decisions.
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@NK Another person here raising a wonderful dog who was turned in by two different impulse adopters! Makes my blood boil.
3
Last year during a torrential rain storm, I visited a house with my realtor. There was no evidence of pets in the home. Returning the next day to see it again, the house reeked of cat urine. I went in and out at least 8 times within 2 hours and the smell never left.
I googled that smell and found it is almost impossible to remove it, short of ripping up floors and baseboards. I later found out there were 2 cats and a dog as residents. For me, bringing a dog to a showing would be a deal-breaker.
7
Dogs do not belong in purses. Period.
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Being pet-friendly - whether it's a hotel, motel, restaurant, park, shop, or residence for sale - is the best advertisement I can think of.
9
An honest, respectful concept of adopting a rescue pet is having an application process in order.
Come to an open house and take an animal home? Ummm......NO!
10
This is so grossly unprofessional and inappropriate.
I would immediately fire any broker who attempted a stunt like this, and disassociate myself from their firm.
20
I have had to move from my long term residence due to new neighbors moving in with big dogs. In itself I wouldn't mind, but the new neighbors exerted no control over the dogs, which were left out barking at everything all day long. I think not one neighbor was without a dog. They'd walk their dogs, allowing them into my yard and gardens to defecate and urinate. If I said anything, I was the bad guy. I now live in a heavily forested area where I can see only one neighbor. There are no dogs here. I've come to hate dogs, and thats sad cause I used to have one myself. But I have no problems now. If any body brought a dog with them in a professional capacity, I'd shooo them right out the door and away from my property. Whats the world coming to anyway? Why its gone to the dogs.
11
Anything for a buck. I also noticed that most of the men pictured have two-day stubble on their faces. Is that supposed to be cool, too?
Well, I'm not looking for a $2 million closet in the center of the universe.
8
When we sold a house about 6 years ago, I told our agent that no pets would be allowed to be brought for showings. She thought I was crazy, but I knew it would come to this. Pretty soon, church pews will have puppies at each end to "boost" donations. Enough already.
13
I agree. In 2012 I had a buyer (an older woman) show up
at my condo door with her dog. She had not told my agent that her dog was accompanying her. The condo permitted dogs but I
did not; the dog had to stay outside. The woman was not a serious buyer, but I was still surprised by her poor judgment.
8
Thank you for this. Finally, an article I’m not terrified to read.
3
I think a more prudent question might be "why should anyone need a puppy to sell their home?"
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Best wishes, for finding real homes for ALL shelter animals. Please, never, ever BUY a Pet. Adopt, and spay/neuter.
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I am not a dog person. I once walked out on a showing because the broker brought her two (lively) dogs with her. I might not object to living in a pet friendly building (I have cats), but if the broker rubbed it in that this was a place for dogs by having them at the viewing, they'd lose a sale.
13
When I adopted my cat from the Humane Society in NY I had to fill out paperwork and provide references. These people have no business offering up an animal to just anyone. It is irresponsible.
9
Let's check off the list of things realtors have used to induce buyers:
1. a simmering pot of cinnamon and cloves on the stove
2. baking bread
3. baking cookies
4. internet access/availability
and now : rescue animals.
Realtors are putting Mr. Barnum's adage to good use.
11
There is some good here and some bad.
I HOPE none of the animals are returned to the shelters for lack of a good adopter. That would be so cruel: "come on, puppy, let's spend a day being fawned over and petted and then go back to jail".....
As long as everyone involved knows what is involved here, that the pets are not just "props"......
I like the realtor who is a dog fosterer, so the dogs, who are presented as adoptable, do have a "home" to go back to at the end of the day.
2
I guess it's a good thing there are a gazillion real estate brokers out there so you encounter one of these types, you can easily move on to someone who's focused on actually helping you buy or sell a house.
10
This article is reminiscent of the recent 'instagram star homes' articles in this section. This simply does not belong in the Real Estate section. Indeed, allowing a pet being in a property while it is marketed for sale, is a seller's choice/ decision and not the agent's. While one can argue that these agents are doing good by helping these pets finds 'forever' homes, these pets clearly serve double duty by trying to attract buyers to difficult-to-sell properties in a difficult buyers market. In order to be objective, the writer could have pointed this out in a more explicit way. 420 E 51st street is a land lease building that currently has 9 active listings and is known to have listings 'sit' on the market for more than a year in many cases due to the fact that this is a land lease building. The opening property at 80 EEA already had 1 price reduction and while it can be move-in, it requires a full renovation by most buyers' standards. As someone already mentioned on one of the board comments, this section is losing its edge.
5
Gross. Let’s use homeless animals as props for financial gain? Responsible shelters or rescues allow someone with a real estate broker’s license to borrow a living, sentient being?
13
Animals in a home for sale? The allergic among us will pass that listing by in a heartbeat.
Use of shelter animals to sell real estate? Can anyone spell e-x-p-l-o-i-t-a-t-i-o-n-? Yes, these animals need forever homes. Trotting them out as inducements to a line of potential buyers . . . kind of like letting immigrants pose as domestic workers in hope of getting a green card to work for you. It's just not right.
12
I'm allergic. Please don't do this. It bothers me.
12
There is a reason folks note that an item they are selling is from a no smoking no animal home. Achoo! Allergies. Same when we were looking for a home to buy,
9
I hate to be cynical about this, but it smells of a sales tactic to get potential buyers to feel arm and fuzzy about the real estate agent. I volunteered at a Humane Society shelter working with dogs and I can tell you that moving already stressed animals around to boost your business is torture for many of those dogs.
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@Renee Margolin
Rather baffling that the NYT would solely endorse this comment ...
That aside, many are aware how stressful for animals the shelter environment is. Much needed foster volunteers spare animals from such anxiety by removing them from these pressure cookers -- and, in the case of a kill-shelter, potentially taking them off of "death row'' -- and getting them into a calm home environment. If you are a foster volunteer, you are expected to not only care for your foster, but to make it known your foster is available to adopt and to take your animal to your shelter's adoption events. From a practical and humane standpoint, I'd rather a realtor take a foster to a showing, as appropriate, in order to increase the chance he/she will be adopted than to have the animal return to the shelter.
6
Real Estate 101, one of the first things most real estate agents learn is as follows. At least one third to one half of all prospective customers and/or clients do not like animals, are allergic to animals or afraid of animals.
No one likes to see a kitty litter box in the kitchen when they look at house. Cat and dog hairs are a turn off. So is a barking dog at the front door when a agents rings the bell with a prospective buyer in tow.
The only people who like animals are other animal lovers and that splits the issue right down the line. Remember the potential customers and clients this can eliminate.
19
So what does the Realtor do when people refuse to tour a home due to fear of animals or allergies? Another issue is that animals may not like all people. Animals can be unpredictable. Anxiety in a dog is often mistaken for aggression. A barking anxious dog will not sell itself or the house.
25
Every realtor in this story is working with a rescue. Every animal mentioned had a trained handler and (in my case) appropriate fencing. If the animals were anxious they would not be there. As for anxious people, they are adults, they can leave, and, if they are really interested in the property they can come back. When I work with realtors they distribute flyers and we put up signage about the animals before and at the event. There definitely are some best practices that you follow to keep everyone safe, but I think this comment speaks more to the fears of the uneducated rather than to the reality of trained professionals working together to do a good thing safely.
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@WF
I object to a realtor showing my home with a pet. Does the realtor get the homeowners permission to bring a pet. into someone's home. Not all showings result in an immediate sale since legal closings take time, but furry animals like people shed and leave invisible markings and a family that has allergic residents has to clean up this residue. I don't allow anyone to bring a pet into my home and wouldn't want a salesperson to do so
15
I have a much loved dog. He was never in our home during showings. The focus needed to be on selling the house not distracting a potential buyer. I respect those involved in fostering and placement of animals. I would not agreel to pets at showings.
18
I think there is a bigger picture here that folks are missing. As a veteran animal rescuer in Los Angeles, I can tell you that in our beach cities the first thing realtors do is tell homeowners to get rid of the pet so they can stage the home. The biggest reason I hear when people call wanting to surrender a pet is "We are moving..." I have had animals in cages dumped on my property by realtors. No interaction - just here - take this animal or it's going to the pound. (happy Saturday to you too Mr. Realtor!) It's a cultural thing that has become somehow ok. It's not. More than that, realty professionals have the power to change a culture in a neighborhood to be just the opposite of what I have described. Think about it - we all get to know the realtors working in our neighborhoods. They go door to door and talk to us. They sell the same homes every few years. They live among us. Why shouldn't they lead the 68% of pet having households toward something healthier? I applaud all of the compassionate and civic-minded folks in this article for stepping out of the box toward something healthier for all of us.
29
The negative comments about this story really surprise me. First, they assume that reputable organizations like Bideawee and Animal Haven do not conduct proper "background checks" for offsite adoptions. Further, they imply that obviously responsible people like Kelcey Otten cannot spot impulse adopters when they see them.
There is nothing in this article to suggest that pets are simply handed over to whomever. In fact, I'm willing to bet that offsite adopters are subject to the same scrutiny as those who visit these rescue organizations' brick-and-mortar facilities.
The point here, as with all rescue adoptions, is to find responsible, loving homes for these good animals. Shannon Kirkman from Animal Haven sums it up perfectly: “The more eyes you get them [dogs and cats] in front of, the more likely they are to find homes."
I've worked with the pioneers in offsite adoption for more than 30 years. I know for a fact that bringing pets out of shelters and into other settings has saved millions of lives and helped educate the public about the need to rescue and the desirability of these wonderful companion animals.
47
My reaction is the opposite of what's been expressed in these largely cynical comments. Perhaps there is a bit of marketing involved but this is a story that should be appreciated, not derided. If you've ever fostered a shelter animal, in the case of this article, a dog, you crave for it to find its forever home; the more exposure to a dog-friendly audience, the greater likelihood this will happen. The article is clear these brokers seek permission and know beforehand whether they are dealing with a pet-inclined client. As far as co-mingling the prospect of adopting an animal with buying a home, we're adults here and should be treated as such--with the capacity to make decisions for ourselves absent the judgment of others.
38
This is genius. What a great way to find homes for both people and pets. Moreover, it can highlight which buildings are pet-friendly and the disparity in pet policies and the reality of pet-owning tenants. How many dogs available for adoption are actually allowed in these premises based on bad pet policies that restrict by breed and weight? What a wake-up call to housing providers who claim they are "pet-friendly" and the demand for smarter policies.
30
I love animals and although I no longer have a pet, I have owned many dogs and cats since childhood. As a professional photographer I enjoy taking pictures of wild birds. However, as a real estate photographer I advise my clients to put away any evidence of pets such as feeding dishes, pet beds, "cat trees," etc. The photos look cleaner and pets may turn off some potential buyers, such as people who are allergic to animals.
20
@Alberto This antiquated thinking makes me sad. Do you really believe that? Adults who purchase homes are also able to work a vaccuum, hire a maid or replace carpets. Also, people with allergies can tell that animals were there even w/o the evidence of a scratching post. Why try to deceive people? 68% of American households have pets. Why in the world would you limit your marketing to the 32% that does not? Especially in a pet-friendly building?
2
I thought the aroma of freshly brewed coffee might be a cheaper option..
22
I agree with the other commenters: Dogs and cats, particularly rescue animals, should not be mixed with business.
That said, when I browse through Realtor.com, I always enjoy a good-looking animal lying happily on a sunny hearth rug or window seat. Makes the place look alive.
25
I applaud the notion of helping shelter animals find a home because there are so many animals in need of love and a safe and happy environment.
That being said, it's easy to get caught up in the moment when greeted at the front door by a sweet and affectionate furry creature, knowing it needs a home and suddenly that impulsive decision to take "Sparky" home takes over. Shelter animals aren't objects but living, breathing, often times emotionally hurting creatures. They crave stability and consistency right alongside love and nurturing.
I understand the need to sell one's home or to sell homes as a profession. But I can't help but cringe when I read that shelter animals are being used as a selling tool. I wonder, how many shelter animals end up permanently with the potential home buyer? How many are returned because in the end, the notion of adopting was an emotional and snap judgment?
If someone needs help selling their home, bake some cookies before showing the place. Nothing is more inviting than the smell of baked cookies, plus leaving them on the kitchen counter to nibble is an added plus. I know a lot of realtors who do something similar and always have great success.
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@Marge Keller I’m a real estate agent in Brooklyn and passionate animal rescue advocate & agree 100%. Last year I attended an open house, the listing agent had a large 120 lb mellow and beautiful dog there (the owner’s dog). People were more interested in the the dog than the apt. and end the dog was at risk for people manhandling him. It was honestly gimmicky and silly. Animals are treated as the result of their environment and have no say - they are not props. Nice flowers, snacks and good music can also sell a listing.
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@NYC Parent
Thanks for your comment.
I concur - animals are NOT props.
And I agree that the notion of "flowers, snacks and good music" are a wonderful touch that adds class and style in a subtle way. I always felt those things helped gave the ambience of a warm home rather than merely an empty house.
38
@Marge Keller:
HOPEFULLY the potential adopters are screened in some way.
4
Decisions about shelter and pet ownership both require serious- and uniquely different- calculations. Both trigger emotion. Mixing the two- please NO.
This from a dog owner who cannot imagine life without our furry family member.
61
@elizabeth Well stated. I will add that adoption of a fostered animal should require some of the same background checks for suitability as when you buy a home.
21
As the decades roll by, it's my impression that pets are increasingly often treated better than our fellow humans. "Assistant" real estate brokers. Alligators and turkey's as service animals. Dogs in virtually every vehicle ad - they are excellent drivers, you know!
11
@R. Anderson I take it you're not an animal person.
2
@R. Anderson go visit a factory farm to corroborate your theory that as years go by
animals are treated better than humans
2
@Centrist We like animals, just not when some owners treat them like little people in fur coats.
1
I am a Broker (in California) and I do not allow pets or televisions to be on in my listings. My job is to sell your home.
I’ve seen people bitten by others’ “emotional support animals” and also had to clean up after many an “accident “ (how can it be an accident if an animal was never housebroken?)
Also, it is not up to the agent to permit pets at a listing as that is the owners call.
81
I was thinking about that too. I don’t want shedding animals in my house, because we all have asthma. (I love dogs, but only breeds that don’t shed can enter my house.) I am
assuming the owners have to give permission.
26
@Charlie no, your “job” is to get in the middle of a transaction and get a cut by doing absolutely nothing. In Europe the idea of real estate brokers is unheard of. Everything you offer is useless, warrantees that cover nothing and title searches when found to be incorrect and there’s no recourse in accountability to the title search company.
2