This morning, I received the following safety alert from DORA, Colorado's Division of Real Estate:
"It has come to the attention of the Division of Real Estate that there has been recent instances of someone pretending to be a buyer and trying to bait and lure real estate brokers into meeting, under the pretext of wanting to look at homes for sale, and then acting inappropriately. In one reported instance, the individual profiled and texted/emailed female brokers stating that he is a qualified buyer and forwards them a fake loan pre-qualification letter in order to get the broker to send him information and to set up a private meeting or home showing."
DORA went on to share some valuable safety tips. I paid attention to their tips. I started my real estate career in College Station, Texas. Unfortunately, Ginger Freeman, a member of our Realtor association was raped and murdered in December of 1981 when she went out to show a vacant, rural home to a floor call from a cash buyer prospect. It was just last year, almost 38 years later, her murderer was finally was identified with DNA testing.
At the time that Ginger Freeman was murdered, her daughter and I both were going to the same high school. I still remember hearing about the murder back then. When I became a Realtor, I worked with some of her Realtor co-workers that were in the office that day when the call came in. They said that they realized that it could have just as easily been them had they been the one that took that phone call. So, to this day, I have always enforced my "Office Policy for Showing Property to Buyers." Since I work exclusively with rural properties now, I am even more careful when I show properties to new prospects.
Yet only today, have I decided to put my personal showing policy in writing. Thankfully, I have never had a buyer complain about my policy. Maybe it is because my policy benefits them also. The written version that I currently have takes into consideration that I only work with properties on acreage so the vast majority of the time is spent out in rural areas.
Hopefully this blog post will remind you once again, your life is not worth one potential sales transaction.
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Here is my written "office policy for showing properties to buyer prospects." I have chosen to present it in a letter format. To be honest, it is rare that I have had buyers calling wanting to see the property the same day. Maybe I have been blessed to attract buyer prospects that do a lot of research and ask lots of questions before they want to see a property. (If anything, they are inclined to show up at a house unannounced since they saw it on the Internet. That is a different problem.)
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Letter to Buyer Prospects: My Office Policy for Showing Properties to Buyer Prospects.
Hello Buyer Prospect,
My sellers and I appreciate you, a buyer prospect, more than words can express. After all, without a buyer, there is no sale. When you read my policy regarding buyer prospects, I hope that you will understand and not feel offended. My name is Sondra Meyer. If you choose to work with me, I will be following Star View Real Estate's office policy when showing properties to buyer prospects.
As the owner of Star View Real Estate, I first implemented these policies years ago when I first started my career as a real estate agent. These policies were designed to ensure the safety of myself and that of my sellers. Unfortunately, there are some very dangerous people that live in our world that pretend to be buyer prospects. Additionally,these safety procedures will help ensure that the home or property that you decide to purchase is the place that you REALLY want.
1. Under no circumstance can you, a stranger, call me or walk into my office and expect for me to show you a property on the same day.
I grew up in College Station, Texas and started my real estate career there. One of my high school classmate's mother was a real estate agent. Her mother, Ginger Freeman, was raped and murdered when she went out to show a rural property to a potential cash buyer prospect that had called into the real estate office. Although that was in 1981, about 38 years ago, her killer has was not identified until last summer (2018).
The good news is that this policy will also help you as a buyer prospect:
- Offers to purchase real estate should not be made on impulse.
- The majority of the time, we will be required to make an appointment with the seller. The more notice that we can give the seller, the better the property tends to look.
- If the seller requires verifiable proof of qualification, this will give us time to get the paperwork to the seller's agent. The proof is commonly requested by the sellers of properties that are priced above the areas average sales price.
2. Plan to drive your car to the showings. We can either meet at the property or you can follow me.
- You will be more comfortable in your own vehicle.
- I am not a pushy sales person. I am more of a real estate consultant. I want you and your family to be able to have time to think about and freely discuss the homes that you have seen in the privacy of your own vehicle.
- If we are driving down dirt roads to get to the house, I want to ensure that you are comfortable with the road's condition. I do not want the contract to fall apart once you drove out to the property on your own and discovered that road conditions were more challenging than you expected.
- When we are done looking at properties; since you are in your own vehicle, you will be able to go directly home, back to your hotel or to your next activity rather than driving back to my office.
3. If we meet at the property, I will need to know what kind of vehicle that you will be in. Likewise, I will let you know what I am driving.
Again, this ensures your safety as well as mine. As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
I look forward to working with you to find the home and/or land that you are seeking.
Sincerely,
Sondra Meyer
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Thank you for visiting my blog. Please feel free to share any suggestions or comments below.
If you or someone you know is interested in buying or selling a home or land, on 5 acres or more, in the Colorado Springs, I am more than willing to assist.
Sondra Meyer
Owner/Broker
Star View Real Estate
719-761-6272
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