The Access Problem
You have a lockbox on a listing. Someone needs access — a buyer's agent, a home inspector, a trades contractor.
The old workflow: call or text them the code. Hope the message doesn't get forwarded. Hope they don't share it with someone else. When the showing window closes, remember to change the code. Forget to change the code. Repeat next listing.
This is how lockbox codes get out into the wild. It's not malicious — it's just a system that wasn't designed with access control in mind.
SLIM's Share feature is designed for this. You generate a secure access link, send it by email or SMS, and it expires automatically when the access window ends. No code ever changes hands in plaintext. No manual cleanup required.
How It Works
Step 1: Open the share panel on any installed lockbox.
The Share button appears on the detail view of any lockbox currently in "installed" status. Access control is only relevant for active listings — once a lockbox is removed or checked back in, the share option goes away.
Step 2: Add the recipient and set the window.
Enter the recipient's name and either their email or phone number. Choose how long the access should be valid — same day, 24 hours, 48 hours, or a custom date range.
Optionally add a note for the recipient. Notes are encrypted end-to-end — they're visible to the recipient on their access page but not stored in plaintext anywhere.
Step 3: Send.
The recipient gets an email or SMS with a secure link. The link opens a clean access page that shows the lockbox address, any note you included, and the access details. It's mobile-friendly and doesn't require the recipient to create an account.
Step 4: It expires on its own.
When the access window closes, the link automatically deactivates. The recipient can no longer view the access page. You don't have to remember to revoke anything.
Auto-Revocation When Status Changes
Here's the part that handles the edge cases most agents don't think about until they've had a problem.
If the lockbox status changes — say, it gets marked as removed after a successful closing — any outstanding shares are automatically revoked. The recipient's link goes dead the moment the lockbox leaves "installed" status.
This means you don't have to manually manage access cleanup at the transaction closing. The system handles it as part of the normal status workflow.
Encrypted Notes
The optional note field is more useful than it sounds.
You can include the lockbox combination, showing instructions ("enter through the side gate"), parking notes, security alarm details, or anything else the recipient needs for their visit. The note is encrypted with a key that only the recipient's access link can unlock — it's not stored in your dashboard in readable form, and it's not visible to anyone who doesn't have the specific link.
For buyer's agents or inspectors who need the full picture for their visit, this is a significant upgrade over a text message with instructions.
Scheduled Delivery
If you're setting up access in advance — a showing scheduled for Thursday, an inspection booked for next week — you can schedule the share to deliver at a specific time rather than immediately.
The recipient receives the link when their access window is about to open, not days earlier when they might lose track of it.
Practical Scenarios
Buyer's agent showing: Send the share the night before. Set it to expire at 8 PM. The agent gets access for the day, and it closes itself when showings are done.
Home inspector: Inspectors often arrive at 9 AM and are done by noon. Set a morning window, add a note with the entry instructions, and you don't have to coordinate on the day.
Out-of-town trades: If a contractor needs recurring access, you can create multiple shares with specific windows rather than giving them permanent access or manually managing a code.
Open house: Create a share for your co-host or a junior agent running the open. When it ends, access ends.
What Happens on Your End
Every share you create appears in a log on the lockbox detail page. You can see who has active access, what their window is, and whether delivery was successful. You can manually revoke any share at any time — the recipient's link deactivates immediately.
The log also shows expired and revoked shares, so you have a record of who had access and when.
SMS Availability
SMS delivery is available for teams with Twilio's A2P 10DLC registration in place. If your account is email-only for now, the workflow is identical — just select email as the delivery method. SMS will become available automatically once the carrier registration is complete.
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Sharing access to a lockbox shouldn't be riskier than it needs to be. Most of the time an agent shares a code, they're not thinking about the downstream risk — they just need to get someone in for a showing. The Share feature is designed to handle both: fast enough to use every time, secure enough to not create problems later.
If you have an installed lockbox in SLIM, the Share button is already there.
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