Realtor® Alert - Safety First and Safety Tips.

The Realtor® Association of the Palm Beaches has been notified that there is a man who is calling himself Mr Antonio (Tony) Zalbumbide contacting female Realtors to show him luxury properties and apparentley misleading them. He has broken NO Laws. He is not being accused of anything other than his pedegree is false. 

There are some risks not worth taking. If you feel unsafe, always, go with your gut feeling no matter how much you need a deal or how much you don't want to offend someone. It is better than turning up missing, dead or robbed. Your life is too important to take risks for any amount of commission.

Below is the alert that the Realtor Association of the Palm Beaches has posted on their member email:

• REALTOR® ALERT! - Members are advised of a gentleman who is approaching female Realtors expressing interest in high end and luxury properties but who is apparently misrepresenting himself.  He chooses to contact only female Realtors.  He promises gifts.  In some cases he offers gifts consisting of articles of clothing.  He wants to be shown these upper end properties.  He claims to have substantial resources.  He has broken no laws.  Yet.  However, research into his assertions by several members has proven his pedigree to be false.  Please be careful and use appropriate prudence in any dealings with Mr. Antonio (“Tony”) Zalbumbide.

Please pass this information along to anyone that you know in real estate:

• Make sure you follow safety rules. Recommend to your broker to establish safety proceedures and protocol:
  

• Get a copy of the buyer's drivers licenses and leave the copy at the office.

• Never go with anyone who you feel uncomfortable with.

• Give your cell phone number to your family and office.

• Have your spouse or someone at the office call with security checks.
  

• Have a code phrase that you use when answering your cell phone if you feel in danger.

• Always leave someone in your office a list of homes you are showing with addresses and times.

• Do not drive strangers in your car.

• Meet all your buyers at your office before you show them homes.

• Never meet someone you don't know at a vacant or secluded property alone. 

• Remember that women have set up agents to be killed too. It is not just men that attack and kill.

• Male agents are also robbed and killed while showing homes so men take precautions also.

• Keep your keys in your hands at all times, do not lay them on a counter while showing a house.

• You can use your keys as a weapon if you are being attacked.

• Use the buddy system when showing houses. When I worked as a buyers agent I brought my teenage sons with me to showings.

• Get a license to carry a concealed weapon. But remember to be trained in the use of the weapon.

Never go with anyone against your will even at gunpoint. Remember that if they are holding a gun to you, your best chance to get away is right then. If you go with them, your chances are almost Zero that you will get away. If you run and they shoot at you, they may miss you, if they do not miss you, the likelihood of the bullet being fatal is not that high compared to the likelihood of you being alive after they take you to another location.

Be Safe out there.  Please reblog this and pass this along to all the agents in your offices. You may just save a life.