In honor of Packy the elephant at the Portland Zoo turning 48 yesterday, I thought to share the ingredients to one of my most important real estate tools -- the Showings Backpack.

We've all been on showings of property with buyers where something, ANYthing goes wrong. You're showing at dusk and inevitably the electricity is turned off. The buyers just GOTTA know whether the garage is at least 25' deep for their boat. The wife wants to show her kids in New York and/or California how adorable the kitchen is but, oops, forgot her camera...

In the eyes of a new buyer, their Realtor has seen it all. They know about every possible scenario. And they are PREPARED. Whether we are or not is not important. What's important is we LOOK prepared. So I came up with a little "emergency" kit for just such occasions. Here are all of the items I carry in a day-pack in the trunk of my car and why:

1) Large flashlight - Sometimes the power is off. Or the buyer wants to look deep into a crawlspace or attic. A penlight is too small. Even a medium flashlight may be inadequate. The size of the unit isn't important, but it needs to fit into my backpack. The beam, however, needs to throw off large light. And keep an extra set of batteries on hand, just in case.

2) Digital measuring tape - A standard tape measure works also, but sometimes needs two people for larger rooms/garages. I've found a digital measuring tape with a laser is not only accurate to the 1/16", it is "laser" fast - with no potential sliced fingers. You can't miss what you're measuring with the red laser target light, either. I had one buyer who looked at houses and measured EVERY room - with an old-fashioned tape. The next set of houses we showed, I brought the digital tape. It cut off 15 minutes from each house. I was even able to measure the exact height of an 18' ceiling for their Christmas tree in a flash. And the buyer was impressed at the cutting-edge technology used by their Realtor. A Craftsman digital tape with the red tag light is about $100.

3) Digital camera - Sometimes buyers want reminders of the home. A cell phone camera works fine and is easily emailed. However, the quality of a cell phone photo usually isn't the highest. Again, a fresh supply of batteries is helpful.

4) Business cards - How many times have we been on showings and forgotten to bring cards in our wallet/purse? This way, even if we forget to refill our wallet, we can always show professional courtesy to the owner we were inside their home. A stack of 25-50 is wisest.

5) Hand sanitizer - I once walked into a repo property that had trash one foot deep inside the home. When I went upstairs, I put my hand on the rail. I actually STUCK to the railing. OMG, that was gross!

6) Women: Mace and/or whistle - Safety is paramount when showing property to buyers. You never know. And I hope all women agents are safe!

7) Mortgage calculator - Having your buyers already pre-qualified is always wisest. But if this is the first time you've met the buyer, and they have questions, always be prepared.

8) A few blank earnest money agreements and addendums - ALWAYS be prepared to write an offer at a home! :-)

9) *optional - Mini-DVD player w/ a few kids' DVDs and dual-headphones (with a $1.50 splitter bought at Radio Shack). This is simply as a distraction for kids who truly get bored during showings. I've found "Spongebob" and a couple "Pixar" movies seem to work best in my stash. And I can't emphasize enough -- HEADPHONES for the kids -- Spongebob's giggle gets a little old after 4 hours of showings!!! ;-)

10) *optional - Portable black light - This is a recent revelation. When walking through a home with a client who hates animal odor/staining, a black light may be the most professional piece of equipment you'll possess. With or without heat, the black light held close to a carpet will reveal chemical staining invisible to the naked eye. Your buyers would be impressed, and would allow you to write into your contract the carpets are to be "professionally cleaned and treated for animal urine". A portable black light is $20-$30 at Home Depot.

Feel free to add/subtract items from your own backpack. Please post any suggestions to this blog. These just seem to cover most of the occasions buyers come across at showings. This backpack can also be helpful at listing appointments.

I hope this helps. If you ever need a Realtor in Oregon, I hope you'll consider giving me a call. As always, I appreciate all referrals. Have a nice weekend! :-) ~~ Bobby