Closing has occurred and the Seller is not out of the house yet. What do I do?

The first thing to remember is that you are not a police officer, an attorney, or a judge. There is only so much you should try to do in this situation.

• If you are the Buyer’s Agent, contact the Seller’s Agent right away and explain the situation. Report back to your Buyer that you have done this. You should also remind your Buyer that you do not hold any authority over such a matter, and it would be inappropriate (and potentially dangerous) for you to approach the Seller directly to determine the reason the house has not been vacated. Your Buyer will likely be quite stressed, and possibly his belongings are sitting in a moving truck that is costing a lot of money. Be sensitive to your Buyer’s anxiety, and make sure he has the resources he needs to begin to deal with the situation. Those resources are phone #’s to the local Sheriff’s Office and an attorney.
• If you are the Seller’s Agent – First, if you are aware that the Seller has not vacated as per expectations, call the Buyer’s Agent and give them a head’s up. Don’t let it be a surprise to the Buyer if you can help it. If you did not know about it until already happens (likely by receiving a call from the Buyer’s Agent), let them know that you are happy to contact the Seller to (hopefully) obtain information as to why he has not vacated, but also remind the Buyer’s Agent that you have no authority or responsibility to be able to ensure a resolution to the problem. Then, you should make a SINGLE call to your Seller and report back to the Buyer’s Agent with what you have learned. Then, politely and respectfully, do your best to remove yourself from the issue, as it is outside of role.