Realtors, if you leave a house unlocked, THIEVES COME IN AND STEAL THINGS
As Mike has written, it's so important to remember to lock doors and check the home before leaving when showing a listing. However, even more important is OUR safety. Our clients are also at risk during situations like this. Mike did the right thing by telling his clients to wait outside. At 5'3" I don't feel as bold though. So next time, I'm staying outside and calling the listing agent from my car. We REALTORS® are in such dangerous positions and we oftentimes don't think before acting.
I remember countless times meeting potential clients at vacant listings to show homes. In about 2006 I remember holding another agent's listing open on a Saturday. When I arrived, I noticed an odor of cigarette smoke. Since the home was vacant, I knew this wasn't right. I called it, "Is anyone there?" Strangely, I heard, "Mom?" So, I backed toward the door and yelled out, "If there is someone in here, you'd better leave as you're trespassing." Out walks a 16 year old boy who had apparently broken in through a window to spend the night!
Situations like these could easily develop into something much worse. And it is up to us to be aware, cautious, and to check our surroundings!
A week ago, I previewed a property in the Winchester, VA area. I'm working with a great young investor couple who are looking for rental properties. Later in the week we all went back to take a second look. This week, we took a third look.
When we arrived at the property, I got my eKey out to open the door and I
noticed the door was slightly ajar. I stuck my fingers in the bottom of Supra box and there was no key holder inside so I assumed another agent was inside at the time.
I looked around the driveway and no cars. Hmmm? I asked the clients to wait outside and I went through the house to see if it was being shown, but nobody. The backdoor was open, the lights were on and no one was walking around.
The previous agent had not only left the house open, he had also taken the keys. That wasn't the end of the story though. I received an email from the listing agent on Friday asking if I saw a large screen TV in the living room while visiting this week. After a little thought, no I didn't. I do remember
seeing it last week.
In the five hours between the time the agent left the house open and the time my clients showed up someone slipped in and stole the large screen TV. It's hard to say what
else was missing. The TV was obvious. Unfortunately for the listing agent, she may be responsible for replacing the TV.
Friends, check, double-check and triple-check a home before you leave it. If it is occupied, you can easily put the homeowner or their belongings in jeopardy by leaving the doors ajar.
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Give me a call for all your real estate needs, and let's make something amazing happen.
Mike Cooper @ Cornerstone Business Group, Inc., 888-722-6029
Real Estate Sales and Property Management
(Disclaimer: All grammatical mistakes, punctuation breakdowns and misspellings are purely for your amusement and entertainment. Feel free to cackle.)
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