Keep tabs on who's looking at your listings, your name, your kids using Google Alerts! A property manager I know was telling me yesterday that in our area there have been some reported "scams" where a home that's listed for sale gets identified by some enterprising individual ... and then listed on CraigsList or wherever as a rental property. ... and RENTED!
Yikes! Of course, the listing agent knows nothing about the issue. ...
As we talked through this, one suggestion that was made was to set up a Google Alert as one means of keeping tabs on where your property listing might really be appearing. Call me paranoid, but I actually have Google Alerts set up for own address, my name, hubby's name, my kids, and so on.
Here's how:
- Go to Google Alerts
- If you're new to Google's many many different tools, create a Google account. This will allow you to manage your alerts later -- adding, editing, deleting them, and so on. If you already have a Google account, sign in. You'll be taken to the Google Alerts page
- Click New Alert, which appears at the bottom right corner of the pane. An entry box opens.
- Type the phrase for which you want to create an alert. For example, I have a listing at "20130 SE 266th Street, Covington, WA" I've created alerts for the full address (as seen here), but also for the address without the city and state. You may want to surround your phrase with quotes so as to limit the alert to those that match exactly. (I also create them using the MLS number.)
- Choose the type of alert you prefer. I tend to use "Comprehensive" alerts rather than those limited to only blog or web searches, as I want to know whether the address appears anywhere.
- Next choose how you want to receive your alerts, and how often.
- When done, click "Create Alert" and you're done!
Using Google Alerts is one easy, additional, method of keeping tabs on what's happening on your listings!
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