Besides the "For Sale" sign in the front yard, your real estate professional will want to put a lockbox on your doorknob when you place your home on the market. What's the purpose of a lockbox and what precautions should you take to protect your belongings?

A lockbox is a rectangular metal device affixed to a home for sale and contains an entry key. It's usually placed on the front or rear doorknob or fastened to a sidewall. Only a second key, card, or a combination known only to real estate professionals can access the key inside the lockbox. It enables cooperating sales professionals to show your home to interested buyers at times convenient to the buyer. It also makes your property available for viewing even when you aren't home.

Without lockboxes, sales professionals would spend far too much time driving back and forth to realty offices to obtain keys to homes they want to show. In addition, if a real estate professional is unable to attend all open houses and other property showings, a lockbox is a must.

Some real estate organizations have replaced combination or key locks with computerized key cards that can determine which real estate professional is seeing the property and at what time.

Still, even with a lockbox, homeowners should take precautions when strangers are walking through their home:

First, do not leave extra sets of keys on hooks in the kitchen or any other room where they may be easily seen.

Hook up interior lights to a timer so visitors canvassing the community will not get the mistaken impression that the house is unoccupied.

Never leave money within plain sight.

Such personal items as jewelry, firearms, billfolds or purses should be locked away for safekeeping.

Don't leave a personal calendar open on a desk anywhere in the house that might reveal future days away on a business trip or vacation.

Although thefts from listed properties are not commonplace, eliminating sources of temptation is a wise move.