Another murder in a big city last week. So many in the US each day that they come on the news and you hardly pay attention. However, this is one that all real estate agents and anyone selling a home should take note of. The victim was showing their home to someone posing as a buyer. (Read story at http://www.ajc.com/gwinnett/content/metro/atlanta/stories/2009/02/19/calle_0220.html)
The victim was showing her own condo to a buyer whom she saw earlier that day with a real estate agent in her building. Perhaps she felt safe showing her condo to someone that she presumed had been screened in some part by an agent. The agent had been given a fake name by the buyer. Could you have been this agent? Could you have been this home seller?
Everyone hears the stories and thinks that it will always be someone else this happens to. It's so easy to let your guard down and be anxious to show a buyer a home without really knowing who you are standing next to. I admit, though I have taken safety courses and carry self-defense spray, I've not taken proper safety precautions with all of my appointments. Thankfully, I've had no incidents. Unfortunately, as in this story, all it takes is one time, and it reminds us that we must always keep safety at the forefront when showing a home.
If you are a seller or an agent, take basic safety precautions when showing a home...
- Have a "buddy system" in place, and don't show your home alone if at all possible. Whether you are alone or not, have someone that you call before the appointment begins and after the appointment is over. If they don't hear back from you within a specified period of time, they should call you to check on you.
- If you are a home seller, have a neighbor come over to meet the buyer when the appointment begins. This action alone might give a potential murderer second thoughts knowing that someone else has seen their face.
- Know as much as you can about the person you are showing the home to. Don't be afraid to ask probing questions and ask for identification before you show the home. Get the buyer's driver's license and call the number in to an answering machine in front of the buyer. By letting the buyer know that people can find them if they commit a crime, they may choose to move on.
- Trust your instincts. I remember hearing somewhere that humans are the only animals that rationalize away their negative thoughts about people. If something in your gut tells you something's wrong, listen to your instincts and get out of the situation.
Obviously this list is not meant to be comprehensive, but rather is just another reminder to be careful out there. (Additional safety information can be found at www.Realtor.org). Unfortunately, there are some bad people in this world and some of them choose the home-selling process as an opportunity for criminal behavior. By being on your guard, whether a seller or an agent, hopefully you can avoid becoming another statistic.
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