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Seller and REALTOR Safety -- True Story happened this week -

We always hear the Safety Reminders

Copy of Buyers Driver's License
Have Code Word
Make Sure Someone knows were you are at at all times

I admit I don't always keep myself safe. I am the first to admit this. So here is my Scary Safety Story....

This week I went to a listing to meet the seller, take interior pictures, and then the seller and I were heading to another piece of land I was to list.

I take the pictures, lock the front door, and then wait for the seller at the end of the driveway in my car.

A moment later

A White Mustang pulls into the cul de sac -
Stops infront of the home
A middle aged man, clean cut gets out of the car and starts snapping pics.
Then he grabs a flier.
At this point seeing an opportunity - I get out of my car- Introduce myself and asked if he would like to see the inside.
- This is were I screwed up - I knew little more than his name was Michael
I tried to qualify him in the house
- Rebecca --"I see you have Illinoise plates are you moving from Illinoise?"
- Buyer-- "It's a rental, I am moving from Abileen Texas"
- Rebedcca --"Isn't George Strait from Abileen?"
- Buyer--"I don't know who George Strait is" -----RED FLAG - Everyone in Texas knows King George....
At this point the seller shakes the buyers hand and waits for me to finish the quick tour.
The tour was quick - the buyer was not interested in any of the details. RED FLAG
The buyer quickly walked out of the house, I locked up and the seller and I were heading to the other property.
On our way out of the subdivision the seller stops me and says that he has a bad feeling about that guy and his heading back to the house to double lock, turn on the alarm ect.
Everything was ok and we went about our business.

At about 7pm I get a call from my seller who is frantic. The neighborhood had been burgalarized in the middle of the day by professional crooks.

The Youngsville Police Department was looking for my buyer - he fit the description perfectly. The bad part is this guy could have robbed my seller because of my stupidity, but on the bright side my seller and I were able to identify this guy - plus we noticed the 2nd car with the other bad guys.

Also, later found out that my buyer - was a career criminal -- he could have killed me and my seller. I really dodged a bullet on this one--lesson learned. Lesson Learned

I think, I am going to start finger printing, collecting hair samples, run background checks on all potential buyers!!

Posted by Rebecca Savitski NC Real Estate Listings on 08/17/2008 10:46 AM

Comments (56)

realtor safety

Originally posted at: Raleigh Real Estate Blog: Seller and REALTOR Safety -- True Story happened this week -

Post is included in group: Independent Brokerages

56 Comments on Seller and REALTOR Safety -- True Story happened this week -

AUG

2008

We use code words and that is a good thing. There are some bad folks out there and you have to be careful male or female doesn't matter. So Guys i am 6'4' 250 plus. and athletic as well as trained in Martial arts. And you know what if a 98 pound weakling pulls a gun I lose. So EVERY ONE needs to be careful

Yes be careful out there. It will happen to YOU in a instant. TRUST NOBody. I have my husband escort me almost always on new clients!

It is a mad world out there Rebecca. In this dog-eat-dog world we live in, it is challenging at times to remember safety when an opporunity to have a deal fall in your lap comes up. All I can say is I am glad you are safe and did not become a statistic. With the slowing economy, I think everyone should consider your story and be aware that these types of incidences are probably going to become more common. Good luck!

you have to be careful..this is why i don't do open houses- you are letting total strangers into the house..especially if you are alone..

Wow, thanks so much for sharing the story, Rebecca. Maybe CSI training is the next designation for Realtors to go with GRI, CRS and all the rest! I'd like to think the best of people, but there's no way given the nuts that are out there these days.

Not that it relates directly to your situation, but this is just one more reason to have an in-office session with buyers before taking them out on the road. That way you know who they are, know their motivations, understand their financial situation and can feel a bit more confident that you'll remain safe while helping them meet their home ownership goals.

That is a scary story. I can see it happening. In my area, a homeowner put an ad to sell their car.

A person cam by , wanted to buy the car.

The homewowner let him in to make the sale.

He tied her to the toilet, and stol everything in the home, inclusing the car.

I would never let my wife sell anything after that story.

all the best.

keep on blogging.

Bill

This is truly scary. I usually try to have buyers and sellers over to my office initially, though I do make exceptions. A good thing you seller was concerned.

I sit through meetings all the time and hear these stories. You just never know when it's going to happen, but it does all to often. I'm just thankful you are safe...

Scary story. Safety should always be first. When I get calls from people, I try to find out about them over the phone ask where they are from, get their address and go to 411.com to see if I can confirm.

Not easy because we cannot be accused of discrimination

WOW! That is really scary! Girl - you need some pepper spray!

My husband goes with me to all showings where I don't know the person.

I don't sit open houses alone.

Two big changes after I started getting obscene phone calls a few years ago. The calls stopped thankfully, but the changes stayed.

Close Call, Be carefull out there, don't wear flashing bling, bling. I recently heard of a new home sales person killed and her brand new rolex watch stolen at a new home community in Texas, you may have heard about it -

Hi,

We had the same thing happen this last week to one of our realtors except she was holding open house. It is scary , but we do have to be trusting sometimes.

Tinker

Reminds me of a class I went to. The instructor made a comment about arriving at a listing & seeing a man walking around the property taking pictures. She asked if he was interested in seeing the property, He said Yes & she gave him a tour, and Gained a client! She was lucky IMHO. I then asked the instructor, "Couldn't it be dangerous taking in total stranger? to which she got her feathers ruffled & said after years of experience & asking the right questions, "looking for a 3 Bedroom?" etc. (Oh ya likes that's going to help!) that she was not concerned. I beg to differ! Be Careful out there.

I had a close call recently as well, even wrote a blog about it. The lesson here is to always trust your instincts.

Often, in the pursuit of a short term end, we put ourselves at risk, and also our client base. We all have that small still voice within, and we need to remember to pay attention to it. Glad that it had an ok result, for you, but it might have been otherwise. Thanks for sharing the alert/warning!

Wow, that's pretty scary, isn't it. I guess we just can't be TOO careful.

That is scary! Glad you were not alone at the time. We call our agents after awhile if they are with new clients and have codes. I am going to share your story with the office. We live in a small town but it can happen anywhere USA!

June

Oh gosh, that IS scary. We are taught to "go after the buyers" and sometimes we do risk safety, not even thinking about it. Yikes. I can't remember my code word for the office, so I will make it point to find that very important word out one more time and make sure I remember it this time! This is a great reminder to all of us!

This is not just limited to real estate either. I wouldn't post anything (other than real estate) for sale on Craig's List. It's a freak magnet.

Rebecca,

I live on the Illinois side of the St. Louis Metro area. Last year around this time, an agent met a buyer off a floor call at a vacant house in a very nice area of town. He tied her up in the basement and raped her. He was just recently put on trial here and convicted.

You can never be too careful. Thanks for the reminder, as I sometimes let my guard down as well.

Rebecca~ Unfortunately we have to keep our guard up. We all need reminders to be careful and to try to use not assume everyone is good ...

Hi Rebecca, Glad things turned out o.k for both of you ! Having a safety program sounds good but is worthless ( and worse ! ) if you don't follow it !

Thank you for reminding me that we are not invincible. It is hard to be in our business without trusting other people to a point. However, not everyone is trustworthy! I am sharing this with my Managing Broker. Thanks, glad your safe!

Rebecca, It a good thing you had someone with you. One thought you might take with you next time..... we all must make appts to see the doctor, dentist, ect. Even times when I get that last minute call, I say ,I will meet you at the office first.... In the last 2 years business has grown and I have a partner now and when the hairs on the back of my neck go up, we cover each other.... so please be safe and thank-you for sharing your story...

All of us ignore our personal safety at times and we can never be reminded too often.

this is 1 of the reasons I no longer do open houses. the negatives far outweigh the positives.

Wow - a reminder to listen to that little feeling or voice inside - I am sure that you had it at some point - do you remember when you had a doubt? We all have a 6th Sense and need to get used to listening to it... how about pepper spray do you have it ? I do open houses with my husband present - talk to all the neighbors and let people know where I am. I am glad you are safe and able to share this story so we can all think ... and be careful! Great post!

Thanks for sharing this with us....we never know who the bad guys are and what they look like so we must be careful at all times. I'm glad it worked out okay and that you were able to assist the police!

Thank you for the reminder Rebecca and I am truly happy that you are and your seller are safe! If I don't know they buyer, I always bring someone with me and I always ensure my husband and office know where I am going, what time and whom I am meeting. My husband is insisting that I carry my gun with me! LoL. However, maybe not a bad idea! I do carry pepper spray with me at all times. Always double up when doing an open house especially when vacant or in the country.

Another good tip when you are open housing on your own, is to write the date and time of arrival on the back of your business card and leave it in a kitchen drawer. In the event something happens, your last move can be noted. The key is to get as much info as possible from your prospects. I've even gone so far as to write down plates and models of the cars!

Keep safe!

It is sad in this profession, we have to be safety conscious first. I know a couple of times I have broken my own rules, but we have to put it above all else. If I am going out with someone I am not sure of or going into empty homes with a client, I have someone call me every 30 minutes. Always keep your cell phone on you, there is a GPS device in it that can be tracked.

Hi Rebecca...you know from the time we are able stand up as toddlers we were told 'not to talk to strangers' "don't let in anyone you don't know" all the fables parents say to keep us safe. But we are in the business of talking with people we don't know, getting into cars with strangers and meeting perfect strangers in vacant homes. Early in my career we had a gal who was raped at the model home by my office. I have always made it a practice for myself and my team, never, never , never meet anyone at any house. Our team policy is that the buyer must come into the office even if he is calling from the front yard and has cash in his hot little hands. Sometime the agents get upset, but I want the buyer to come into our office. We also have what we call a code red...if anyone on the team has a gut feeling about the client, they do not go out with them unless a man (usually my husband sits in on the meeting and then goes with the agent in their own car. You were lucky, what if the seller had not been there as well. Thank goodness and thanks for sharing, it is a reminder to be careful.

Wow, that is TOO close! We have had our share of "close ones" around here. most recent one is innocent enough now... Stealing women's under wear from open houses.... Unfortunately some thing like that will probably lead to something a little more perverse... so everyone does have to be careful.

Close Call.

You never know who is on the other end of the phone call or who we paln on placing in our cars. It could be very dangerous. Almost as dangerous a driving a TAXI in a major city.

Like you I have never been one to worry. I show property all over our large County. Much of which is very remote. I Rarely leave info as to who I'm with or where I'm going. I realize this is foolish and we all need to be more cautious no matter where we live.

Rebecca, You are very lucky. I am glad you got the guy's description

Rebecca, OMG. You know I'm glad you're safe. That is totally awful! I'm so sorry! Please be more actively astute to your surroundings...it isn't always about Real Estate, young one. Take care.

Later in the rain~Deb

P.S. Thank God you're still alive to tell about this! Girlfriend...be more careful.

Oh my Rebecca.... Glad to hear that you are fine and didn't get hurt.. Yes.. this just goes to show.. You never know who is watching you.

Dear Rebecca,

First rule of thumb is always be cautious about showing homes. Glad you were not hurt. Remembr safety first.

I'm so sorry to hear about your experience. This area is at the hight of publicity around the US. WE really need to watch our backs!! Be careful Rebecca!

I think you were fortunate your seller was there and you weren't alone, locking up after an open house or something. Glad you and your seller are OK!

I've written about a few of my own scary situations. This one tops all of mine though. I'm so glad that you and your seller are fine, and that you were able to help the police after all of that.

Good thing your client had a sixth sense. I always try to be careful but have felt uncomfortable a few times. These guys sounded experienced. Speaking of which, I witnessed a shoplifting attempt this week with two people working in tandem to confuse the cashier. Sounds similar, doesn't it?

Great comments, we all need to be reminded of this, often!

holy smokes that is a scary story!! I am so glad you are ok to tell the story and provide awareness, always go with your gut feeling it looks like, thanks for sharing!

Back when I was training with a fellow inspector we went to a house early to look at the exterior. Well, I of course didn't have a company shirt or anything like that so I looked like a normal person. I also had my "I'm free from the Navy" hair cut, or rather lack there of, so I'm sure it didn't help not even looking professional.

As we were inspecting, the agent had come by and saw me (my trainer was in the back and she didn't she him) snooping around. Maybe she was a little gun shy from a recent event, but she called the police and next thing I know I'm being interrogated. Didn't take long to sort things out.

When the agent found out she called the police on the inspector she nearly cried in embarrasment. But I told her flat out, I'd rather have the police come and ask me some questions than for her or anyone to get hurt. What did it cost me? 10 minutes of my time? Heck it gave me a good story to tell. Fair trade off.

Remember, humorous and even embarrassing stories are a lot better than the lessons learned the hard way stories. I'm glad you had a very easy lesson learned.

Great reminder about safety!

Rebecca,

So thankful you are safe.

My team set up code words a couple weeks ago.

Hope we never have to use them.

AUG

2008

Thanks for sharing the story. I would have done the same thing- get excited that maybe this is a real buyer. In this market we sure don't want to let a possible buyer get away! But it is good that you shared this so that we are all reminded that we don't want to let our ambition cloud our good judgement regarding our own personal safety. Glad this had a happy ending for you. Thanks again for sharing!

Beth Williamson, RE/MAX Coastal Associates.

OMG -- thank goodness you are safe. One can't be too safe in circumstances like this. Be so careful of letting in people or showing people you have no idea who they are.

Thank you everyone for the comments - Lesson Learned -- Somethings I have learned from this post and your comments.

I have picked up some pepper spray.
411.com look up prior to showing.
License plate documentation - camera phone!
Some common sense goes a long way
Up and Up buyers will respect the caution
Always tell someone anyone my where abouts

Its a crazy world and we are all Hungry for business, this lesson is a great reminder to remain safe.

Rebecca,

Whew! You REALLY did dodge a bullet on that one! Never, Never, Never again Missy! I'm so glad you are okay. Key words: LESSON LEARNED! Wow!

I just added pepper spray to my shopping list! Glad you're safe and taking extra care to stay that way in the future.

Very scary, it sounds as if your seller's instincts were really good. You're lucky you were not both shot and killed; people can be really mean. Stay safe and be careful; no sale is worth your life.

AUG

2008

Rebecca - what a story! Seems like that kind of thing wouldn't happen around here (and doesn't often) but you've reminded us that it can...

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