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Hey, That Realtor Is A Fake

I was watching the new this evening and one of the headlines really caught my attention.

Fox 35 News out of Orlando, FL was covering a story on "Fake Realtors."

Here is that story in a nut shell:

A person posed as a realtor approached the seller and asked to view the home. The seller invited the lady in to look at her house. Upon leaving, the realtor said that she would talk to the buyer to put together an offer. After not hearing from the realtor, the seller called the number on the business card (the real realtor.) The real realtor said that she has never been to that house and has not been in that neighborhood.

The seller has now opened her home to a possible criminal who was, for all intents and purposes, casing the property, getting the layout and making notes of the valuables. The seller has contacted the authorities, but there is not much they can do, as the seller invited the fake realtor in to the house. This seller was smart enough to follow up and realize that something was wrong. She has since changed her locks and has her realtor handle all showings.

Apparently, this has become quite the operation here in Central Florida. I am not sure if it has hit other parts of the country, but we should all make sure that sellers are made aware of this type of activity that is going on and implement a plan to keep it from happening to them. After all this could have been one of your clients.

Posted by Jason Price on 12/11/2006 10:26 PM

Comments (81)

fake, realtor, crime, central florida

81 Comments on Hey, That Realtor Is A Fake

DEC

2006

Jason, very very timely and good advice. I'm sure most of us told our clients at the beginning of our listings not to let anyone in unless we notified them that a showing was scheduled, but a little reinforcement at this time of year is a good reminder. Thank you!

Carole,

I know that if I was selling my house and a realtor stopped by to look at it, I would probably have let them in. I would have figured maybe they know a buyer that would be interested, but the realtor just wants to check it out before wasting their clients time. Not anymore after I heard this. Glad I could serve as a reminder.

Jason, casing a house would be very easy for a crook to do during an Open House. I am surprised that it isn't done more often. Thank you for the heads up on this.

True... an open house does leave a person open to a snoop looking for a score, but in this case someone was using a professional title to gain access to the house. And also, with an open house, there is usually more people present (seller, realtor, and maybe a lender) which means more eyes watching them. It would scare most crooks away as they do not want to be seen.

DEC

2006

What is this world coming to? I have more chance of a bear breaking into our house than a crook. In fact I can't remember the last time we locked our doors :blush:

Jason - As I read your story I also first thought of the open houses if they want to case homes. They could also pose as buyers or get someone with decent credit to pose as buyers if they want to just case a lot of homes.

As Realtors we should always be on our toes. As a matter of practice I tell my clients to not show the home to anyone who does not have an appointment with me. Not a sure way of catching them, but another layer.

Great post. Question for all - what exactly is the statistic, that being a realtor is one of the most dangerous professions? Something like 3rd behind police officers and firefighters??

Very good post. In fact, we recently had an agent from our market get busted for stealing drugs from the seller's medince cabinet.

Recently there was a realtor that was attacked and assaulted. It was pretty well publicized so people are being cautious, both realtors and consumers alike. -Cr

I have heard of similar stories inother areas. In the past, people would feign interest in a FSBO to get a chance to preview their next theft.

We all have to be very careful

Jason - great reminder, and a pretty scary story. I hope nothing happens to that seller or to her house. I have loads of family in and around central Florida, so I always pay attention to posts about that area. None of them have their houses for sale, but I will pass along this reminder all the same.

Ann

http://activerain.comblogsview/23030/agents-beware-KB-Model The other story about theives ripping off agents purses during open houses. Scrutinize buyers and agents alike. A call to your local board in cases that you are not sure of whom you are dealing with, will validate whether or not they are license holders.

It is unfortunate, but because of the transient nature of Florida one must always be alert!

For identification purposes, it helps to have your photo on your business card. I wonder if there was a photo business card in the scenario presented above.

wow-thanks! it does help to have real stories to share with sellers when we're cautioning them. we tell them to allow no one inside unless it's been scheduled-but i'm sure it's tempting when your only thought is to sell the house. scary that this person went after the 'respectable' way to get into a house by posing as the agent and not a buyer...

Unfortunately this kinda junk happens. I always coach my sellers to call me if they have any questions and never let someone in if they're asking to view the property w/o an appointment scheduled.

we go out of our way before giving an agent showing instructions. We make sure that the agent is licensed and if they refuse to give us their license number they will not get showing instructions. It`s that simple...

Great story, makes you think very hard how to prevent this nonsense..

This is another argument for using a real estate agent and not selling a home yourself. A trained real estate agent can handle the showings and screen potential visitors, including weeding out fake agents. It's added protection.

These "real life" incidents help us everyday because, like Jason said, if a Realtor stops to see your home you will let them in. That feels like the natural thing to do. I always try to urge my sellers to 1) not open the door for anyone you do not know and 2) if you are outside and someone drives and claims to be an agent or a prospective buyer and they just want to take a "peek." Have them call centralized showings (or their agent) because we need the showing to be logged. If they leave without making that call then they aren't real! That way the seller knows they didn't turn someone down for a showing and they maintained their safety zone.

Great post! I give all my sellers a stack of business cards and tell them that if someone wants to see the house and does not have a Realtor to hand them my card. I will set an appointment and show it myself. They DO NOT know who they are letting into thier house.

That's the reason I always stress to my sellers not to let anyone in who does not have an appointment. If they want to see the house, they must go through the official procedure. IT's for their safety.

Good warning...hope everyone reads it.

I had a Realtor or FAKE Realtor using my cards one time. I was getting feedback calls from homes I never showed! Crazy stuff.

One of our agents had her car stolen from an open house by a couple of 'fake buyers' . One took the tour as the other rifled through the purse on the counter. The agent didnt realize it until the end of the day.

I've prepared a list of Safety Do's & Don'ts to review and leave with the Seller when I list the home. I specifically tell them that they are vulnerable because they're eager. Regarding open houses, I would never take my purse inside - it's locked in the car.

Seems this i s a potential problem for all the FSBOs and sell it yourself types....

knock knock. "I saw your house on Zillow and would love to take a look around"

Jason... Sharon Simms took my response, in regards to the photo on business cards.

But how about taking one step further.... as the client, asking if they can take a picture of the realtor coming into the house... ??? lol Make up some excuse to as why they would want this. And if the person takes off running... that would be one answer.

Ok... normally I address everyone's comments and thank them for their thoughts, but it looks like I am not going to be able to catch up today. So, first thank you everyone who has shared their thoughts on this. Second, I want to address what Sharon Simms brought up. In the news clip, they did show the business card that was used as identification. It did NOT have a picture. A picture business card is a good way to deter a theif from using your cards as a way to scheme their way in.

Again, thank you all who have commented on this so far.

Jeff - you got past me while I was typing my thanks to everyone. Please see the above comment for the answer to the business card. :) It also may be worth the couple hundred dollars to get one of those video camera security systems to setup at the front door to scare them away, too.

Hi Jason,.. Thanks for raising the level of awareness with this post. These are the things that are really going on and people need to be careful and take precautions. Let people know where you are. Invite new clients to the office to photocopy their licenses. I always lock the door behind us when we enter a house, so that no one will walk in while we are upstairs or in the back yard. Be careful out there, its a jungle.
Sorry for the typical 'good post', but it really was.

Even being a good looking guy ;-) I never liked photos on business cards!

But I think I just changed my mind.....

One of the great risks to agents and to FSBOs of Open Houses. And although they could be "faked" - I am grateful for those who have pointed out a use of photos on business cards.

Nick, Thank you... it is a shame that we have to watch our backs because of things like this.

Marc, I am not even going to touch that one about being good looking... do I need to send people to your post with your baby photo... :)

I always tell my sellers not to let someone in that just stops by. I've never said "including Realtors", maybe I need to. Pretty crazy!!!

Tony, photo business cards is an excellent idea. I know that some people are camera shy, but hopefully this will make them change their mind. Thanks for sharing.

Chris, It is pretty sad when you have to say don't let anyone in, including realtors. Talk about saying don't trust anyone, and then throw your own profession into the don't trust category. Ouch.

I saw the same story but on a different station. They showed the business card & it did not have a photo. I've read a certain amount on forums debating the use of photos on cards. I never thought of the security aspect though.

The Christmas season is the giving season and the Stealing season. There is always this kind of upswing when it's Holiday time. Another time is when the county fair hits town in the fall. There seems to be an increase in counterfiting and break-ins..... Sterotyping probably but the police statistics support it....

Joe, I attached the news clip to the link in the post. Let me know how close it is to the one you saw.

Michael - I am not looking forward to hearing those news stories talking about another family that had all their presents stolen from under the Christmas tree. It takes a sick individual to do something like that. And with this story, it sounds like people are letting them walking right through the front door. Thanks for your comment.

Good advice, Jason. Thanks for the post. There have been similar operations here where a couple comes to the OH and then splits up, one keeping the agent busy while the other either cases the home, unlocks windows, or steals small items. There have been a few stories about REALTORS engaging in similar behavior - major ethics violation, don't you think? Some good suggestions in the comment made.

A great reminder to everyone, we can't be too careful! In my area, there have been a rash of break-ins of agents cars, when viewing Broker's Opens. Agents are usually in and out of the showing in less than 5 minutes, but find their windows broken and purses gone.

Jeff, You're welcome. You are the second or third person to mention the OH scenario. If I was showing a house, I would definitely not let anyone out of my site. Too much liability, I would think.

GREAT AND TIMELY POST because we haven't been reminded of this hazard lately that I've noticed.

When my home was for sale in 1995, I had several "agents" or "buyers" approach and want to tour the house.

I simply advised them to call for an appointment. I never showed the house to a prospective buyer and I never made appointments with "agents" who called from phones that didn't register a number.

I did, however, have my home on a lockbox and if I wasn't home, an agent with a keypad could show. Not a problem. I trust the system when it comes to security of our lockbox systems.

Michael, you would think that with multiple break-ins like in your area, agents would take their belongings in with them or be a little more cautious. Thanks for sharing this info relating to your local area.

Lenn, thanks for stopping by. The newer electronic lockboxes are a good idea. The older models with push buttons and combo dials are too easy for a theif to get into. I have heard those stories of how the lockbox was broken into to get the key.

Wow, crazy story. How scary!

Annie - Thanks for stopping by. It looks like you were not signed in when you left your comment. If you are a visitor to the site, welcome and I hope that you enjoy the site and the wealth of information it has available to you.

I saw a note recently that there have been a rash of appliance burglaries from yet unoccupied homes in new developments north of Chicago. It's all the same thing, thieves looking for any opportunity they can find to do something other than legitimate work for a living. Both cases tie REALTORS in. The burglarized developments have found they often have this happen after showings - where the REALTOR forgot to lock the door when they left.

Gabriel, forgetting to lock doors is a biggie. I never thought of appliance theft in a vacant home, but I guess it happens. Thanks for sharing your story.

I wonder if a local police department would have any statistics on how ofter this happens in certain areas, after a Agent or FSBO shows the property?

Great post Jason, Thanks for the heads up. There are way to many scams going around theses days. I seen the top 10 scams of 2006 and blogged about them, you might want to take a look at those as well.

In related news: In California we actually have fake Realtors not as a form of assault or burglary - but to DO REAL ESTATE!

I've had several of my Realtor partners share stories about how someone in the transaction is practicing without a license and there's very little recourse. 1. The DRE can't really do anything - they're not licensed. 2. It's not a high priority for other government agencies.

Anybody else come across this?

Betsy, I am sure that they have stats, but I also wonder how many have not been corelated to each other.

Gary, thanks for the info... I will have swing over to your post to check it.

Joey, I have heard of people doing this before, but I am not sure of what kind of policies are in place for it here in Florida. It would be an interesting post for you to put together to see what is going on across the nation with something like this.

Jason, THis is a good post to refer to!

This is another reason that I make all my own appointments. Sellers know that they should never have a showing unless I have called first. If an agent or buyer show up, I am to be called. It is better to miss a legitimate buyer than to take a chance. I also caution my sellers to lock away prescription drugs!

www.HomeRome.com

Baltimore,Md

Margaret, it is funny that you mention the scripts being locked up or put away... I just got done watching House MD, and House stole a script from a dead person to help with his problem. People will do just about anything when drugs are involved. Thanks for stopping in.

Love the Santa photo, Is that you and your daughter?

www.homerome.com

Baltimore,Md.

educate...educate...eductate...If you educate you sellers on how realtors operate they will tell other agents to bug off and call their realtor. I am sorry for the FSBOs who don't have someone working to ensure only professionals gain access to their homes.

Margaret, that is my daughter with Santa, but not me. We took her to meet Santa for the first time a couple weeks ago before the malls got too packed. It was the first time that she ever really got to touch a beard, and she found it to be just so much fun to play with.

Rebekah, thanks for stopping by... have not seen you for a while. You do bring up a good point. The FSBOs are generally the target. If a realtor took the time to educate the FSBO seller, that realtor may end up getting the listing when the FSBO does not sell. You take a couple minutes to drop off some informational flyers on dos and don'ts for showings and open houses. You show that you have concern for their well being and not push for the listing. They will remember you should that time come to put it on the market with a realtor.

DEC

2006

Your daughter is magnificent and she looks absolutely perfect. As a former Pediatric Nurse, I can say that with authority! What is that lucky little girl's name?

www.HomeRome.com

Baltimore,Md

Hello

Yes it's true in San Francisco bay area as well. I have heard of many warnings about putting a photo onto the business card because apprently things like this happen fairly often! Yikes!

Cheers,

Cindy
I stage to sell, live and work in San Francisco bay area!
www.staged4more.com
hello@staged4more.com
www.stagingtipsandmore.blog.com

Wow, what a post! Lots of good advice to soak in. Anybody wonder where the crook got the Realtors card from in the first place? I went out to lunch yesterday and dropped one of my cards without a picture on it, into the glass bowl for a drawing to win a free lunch. A person could go up and take a handful of cards when nobody was looking, and become whatever kind of professinal he wanted to be. Think about that before you drop a card in one, I will if it doesn't have a picture, course with all the good scanners out today, anyone could make their own cards using your info. Picture or no picture. Merry Christmas everyone!!!!

Margaret, her name is Madison... and thank you for such a wonderful compliment. On the side, my wife is an ER nurse, and my sister is a Labor and Delivery nurse. Now, if I can just get them into real estate. :)

Cindy, it sounds like the photo is the easiest way to keep a criminal from using your card to pass themselves off as you. Thanks for stopping by. Go 49ers.

Michael, I like the name. That is all I will say because I am sure you have heard it all. Anyway, casually leaving your card about anywhere can lead to this problem. Here is an even scarier one: I bet you have your cards displayed in the front room of your office. Someone could easily walk in and take it from there if they wanted to. Putting your picture on the card is a good way to keep them from using it because they will not want to put their own photo on the card. If they scan a card with the photo on it, they will want to remove the photo and will have to redo the entire card to make it look professional because of the empty space caused by no photo. That is too much work for them to want to do when they could just another one without the photo.

This was sent to all Chicago Association of REALTORS members late yesterday:

"Neighboring real estate associations have recently received notifications from members pertaining to REALTOR® safety.

In one instance, a female "buyer" came into a busy office around 5:00 p.m. The woman stated that she's looking to buy a house and gave the agent all the "right" information. The agent, who was not alone in the office, started checking the MLS. The "buyer" asked to use the bathroom and, when done, came out to the agent and asked for paper towels as they had run out in the bathroom. As the agent got another roll of towels, the "buyer" dried her hands off and then said, "I didn't realize it was getting this late. I have to go pick up my husband. Let me get him and we'll both be back."

Two hours later, the agent discovered her wallet and credit cards missing from her purse. She called the police who notified her that her credit card had already been used in a local Circuit City for a $7,000.00 purchase! The agent drove to the Circuit City where the manager admitted he was the one who approved the purchase - he verified the woman's credit card, her driver's license (that had her picture on it and the agent's info) and a Discover Card that the woman showed him with the agent's name on it! The agent never even owned a Discover Card.

The woman either has the equipment in her car or access to a home/office where she inserted her picture on the agent's driver's license and credit cards.

Another incident occurred when a REALTOR® was contacted by a prospective client who indicated he was interested in seeing some houses. He gave a lot of personal information over phone. He seemed very agitated because he had not heard back from this REALTOR® on his initial call. When she checked her caller ID the number was blocked. He set up an evening appointment with the agent to meet at the office and never showed. When she attempted to contact him by the phone number he had given her there was a generic message about this customer not available; she also sent several emails that initially went unanswered. She was then contacted and the email recipient indicated he was not who she thought it was; he lived in Denver. He said he had been receiving numerous e-mails from all around the country from REALTORS® with the same story; he was not looking for a house nor had he contacted REALTORS® about a house."

This is not the stuff of urban legends, unfortunately it is real. It isn't everywhere and we aren't all in danger, but like with pickpockets at the mall, we all need to be aware and careful so as not to be exposed and vulnerable.

Gabriel,

Thanks for sharing that info... that first story wa really scary that they could steal the indentity that fast. In our industry it may be worth get ID theft protection. I have been looking into getting this to protect myself and my clients.

Geez. This is a very informative post. It really scares me to think of what we have to do to protect ourselves and our clients these days. Better safe than sorry! Thanks for the great info and cute pic!

Laurie, sometimes it takes a scare to remind us of what is going on. It is just a shame that it takes that scare. Thanks for the compliment on the pic.

WOW - never thought about the business-card-in-the-bowl exposure! Maybe I should start dropping my pens in the bowl instead. I'm not surprised that people can quickly re-do or rather un-do a card to add their own photo in very short time. After all, the bad guys are using the same techie tools that we use in OUR business.

I have heard that the only difference between a Con man/woman and a Salesperson is INTENT.

www.homerome.com

Baltimore,Md

Elaine, I got golf balls made with my company logo and website. I think I will start dropping those in the bowls... I bet it would increase my chances of winning that free lunch or whatever they advertise for. But on a serious note, yes it is just too easy for them (criminals) to steal our identity. Thanks for stopping by.

Margaret, and just what is your INTENT? j/k... that is a good saying. Con men/women are the best sales people. Now if we can only get them to put it to good use.

You got the point! It takes the same skills for both. That why we need to work with others who share our core values. We do need to be aware of the Con artists in Real Estate.

And Madison is a perfect name for a perfect little girl!

www.homerome.com

Baltimore,Md

Margaret, I am not a real estate agent or broker, just a mortgage professional, but have heard that here in Florida is next to impossible to report someone because of all the forms/paperwork that is involved and that keeps people from doing it. Is that the same where you are? I would think that if it were easier to report someone, the ethical ones would be doing more of it.

As for Madison's name, we wanted something unique and not common. We did not have many friends that had children and were not surround by people that had them either. About 1month after she was born, they released the a report of top 10 names for newborns for 2005. Madison was #1 for girls... go figure. I guess she will be like me... my name was in the top 10 when I was born. But her name does fit her... because when she is "Mad," she lets you know it.

Jason,

Hope you can convince your wife and sister-in-law to consider Real Estate. Nurses do make great agents! We are used to life and death situations. And we do understand that there are no emergencies in Real Estate. Although we don't tell the buyers or sellers.

If you want me to speak to either one or both, just let me know.

www.HomeRome.com

baltimore,md

Margaret,

I might be able to get my wife to flip over once the mortgage company if up and fully running (only open for about 6 months). So far it is off to a good start.

Thanks for the offer on talking to them.

DEC

2006

Jason,

Thanks for the post. I'm always amazed at the limits to which people will go to commit fraud, and for what? I hope the "real" agent has not suffered as a result of this.

JAN

2007

I thought I had heard it all until I read your post. Good grief, how could someone have the nerve to do this?

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