Special offer

New Apps are Putting Agents & Clients @ Risk!

By
Real Estate Broker/Owner with Broker Associate / Team Lead - Texas Pride Realty Group 0503820 TX

There are some new apps out there that allow customers to see where agent's are in their car, kinda like ordering an Uber driver.  If you're an agent on the app and someone is sitting in front of 123 Banana Street, they can click on your car and request you divert over and show the house. 

But this immediacy comes with a price.  The safety of the agent and the listing.  Any professional agent should get a buyer pre-approved before showing a property, both for your protecting and for the seller.  There was another notice this week in our MLS of a fake buyer robbing agents when they show up to let him into a house.  There have been several kidnapping/murders of agents in the last few years.  

Safety and professionalism is much more important the immediacy and convenience. 

 

Shirley Coomer
Keller Williams Realty Sonoran Living - Phoenix, AZ
Realtor, Keller Williams Realty, Phoenix Az

I don't understand agents who show up at a house to show someone they don't know a house.  No prequal, no way to know who they are.  We know there are few instances where a buyer has to buy today or life as we know it comes to an end.  Maybe they are in town as part of a relo, but then they have an agent who has lined up properties to show them. This would be the last app I would want!

 

Aug 15, 2015 12:17 PM
Kathy Streib
Cypress, TX
Home Stager/Redesign

Bob- I'm not familiar with this app but even though I love apps, this does not sound like a good one.  You make some very good points, the safety of the agents, not wasting the seller's time, and the reputation of the industry.  You are not Uber agents!

Aug 15, 2015 09:04 PM
Kim Johnson
Signature Realty Inc. - Coral Springs, FL
Selling South Florida

Our office has a good bit of REO listings which can be a good thing. People want to see them now and many times the only info we get is a first name and cell number or just an email address. When we contact them for more information they always act put out and don't understand why we won't just drop, run out, and open it up for them without a preapproval, or a last name.
I love new gadgets and apps, but for strangers to know where we are, nope not going to happen here.

Aug 15, 2015 09:26 PM
Joe Pryor
The Virtual Real Estate Team - Oklahoma City, OK
REALTOR® - Oklahoma Investment Properties

I knew this was coming and I believe the key is background checks for those who can use location based apps. We do this with rental applications and it should be the same with people opting into apps like this.

Aug 15, 2015 10:18 PM
Gita Bantwal
RE/MAX Centre Realtors - Warwick, PA
REALTOR,ABR,CRS,SRES,GRI - Bucks County & Philadel

I have not heard of it. It is scary.

Oct 30, 2015 09:58 PM