Every realtor has one— a story from a house they can't think of without smiling. We asked six of Westport's top realtors to share some of the most amusing listings from their careers here in town.
“Crazy things happen when sellers go out of town. Upon opening the door to this home, we noticed the house was 'steamy,' despite it being about ten degrees outside. We couldn’t figure out the cause until the buyer stepped into four inches of hot water on the basement floor! Steam was pouring under the utility room door. The buyer, whose glasses were fogging up, helped us turn off the water—and asked when offers were due!” -Danna Rogers of the Danna Rogers & Jen Kass Team at The Higgins Group
“In the midst of house hunting, my clients and I stumbled upon a hidden gem: a lower-level room transformed into an apocalypse-ready safe haven! Stocked with powdered food and milk, it was quirky, yet intriguing. Despite the strangeness, my clients fell in love with the home and decided to buy it, embracing their inner doomsday heroes.” -Erica Acheychek of EA Homes, LLC at Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage
“Every opportunity we have to help a client is memorable, but one particularly rewarding instance was helping a buyer who wanted to return to Westport, where he grew up. In an exciting turn of events, the owners of the home he was raised in (who bought it from our client’s parents!) decided to sell, just as he was about to choose another house. Orchestrating his purchase of that home, which meant so much to him, was a highlight we will never forget.” -Barbara Bross, Alexander Chingas & Doug Bross of the Bross Chingas Bross Team at Coldwell Banker
“My client was away and asked me to check on something in the home. Opening the front door, there was a bad smell and I had a strange feeling that all was not right. The living room couches were in disarray with pillows everywhere, stained fabric and walls, and animal droppings that I soon realized belonged to raccoons! They must have snuck in through the chimney and proceeded to party away. The wreckage continued in other rooms and the garage. After breaking the bad news to my clients, we hired experts to restore the home and animal-proof the chimney. It sold right away!" -Jillian Klaff, luxury property specialist at Coldwell Banker Realty
“One of the more interesting listings I can remember is one that involved a 2,000-square-foot primary closet. Yes, you read that right, a 2,000-square-foot closet! We knew that we had something unique when it came to this property feature so we were able to get several publications willing to write about the giant Connecticut Closet, generating amazing publicity for the listing.” -Richard Higgins, COO and associate broker at Higgins Group Private Brokerage
“Early in my career, I brought a client to a property and we spent a great deal of time touring the beautiful home. As we were leaving the owners arrived, looking perplexed. It turns out I had mistakenly entered the wrong house! Despite my embarrassment, I joked that, if they ever wished to sell, I had their buyer and gave them my card. Fortunately, both my client and the owners were good sports about it: My client bought a home with me and, years later, I ended up listing and selling that beautiful home, too!” -Michelle Genovesi, principal of Michelle & Team at William Raveis Real Estate
I scheduled a home showing for my clients, expecting the owners to be absent. The specified time arrived, and I rang the bell as a precaution. With no response, I used the key box. As I was about to enter, the owner, clad in a towel, opened the door, clearly aware of the showing and finding it amusing. I turned to my clients, commenting that, given my past nursing career, his attire didn't faze me. This, of course, was said loud enough for the owner to hear!
- Marilyn Heffers, Luxury Property Specialist, International President's Elite
