Keep safety first in real estate work
Realtor Notebook
By Teresa Boardman, Thursday, January 15, 2009.
Flickr photo by afroboof.The Internet is an interesting place. We can be anyone we want to be, and so can the people we meet online.
About a year ago I met with a prospective buyer who found me on the Internet and he turned out to be more than a little scary. He wasn't at all interested in buying real estate. He wanted to meet me because of something that he found on the Internet about me.
We met in a coffee shop where I often meet with clients and write contracts. I ended the meeting but he didn't want to leave, and even after he did he sat in the parking lot in his car watching the coffee shop. I left about 10 minutes after his car left the lot.
He was seriously creepy and maybe a little crazy. Most of the people I meet through the Internet are wonderful. It is like we have known each other for years the first time that we meet. I couldn't ask for better clients and friends.
There are some crazy people on the Internet, too. Having a Web presence like mine is a bit like standing in a well-lit room with the drapes open when it is pitch black outside. Someone can be outside looking in. They can see me but I don't even know they are there.
Using the Internet as a way to meet buyers and sellers is not any safer or any more dangerous than having an open house. There is some personal risk to agents with each, and each year a few of us are killed on the job.
With the people we meet online it is especially important to meet them in person at a real estate office or in a public place before meeting them in a vacant home. This may seem like common sense but I know too many agents who pick up the phone and get all excited when someone wants to see one of their listings. They are off and running with no thought about their personal safety.
This phenomenon seems to get worse when business is slow. Agents trip over each other for the opportunity to show a home. Having the opportunity to show a home or to earn an income is important but not so important that we should forget about safety.
Please don't go into a vacant property with someone you don't know. If a meeting can not be arranged prior to the showing call another agent and have them come with you. Ask questions when someone calls to see a home. Sometimes the potential buyers are not kooks but they are a complete waste of time. Even when business is slow we all have things to do that are better uses of our time than showing an unqualified buyer a home. We are not some type of free public service -- we are small businesses.
When meeting people for the first time listen to that inner voice. It is your friend. We all have a kind of built-in instinct that we are taught to ignore. When we are afraid we try to overcome it or ignore it when we should be listening to it.
We don't know anything about the people who meet us through the Internet. From both a personal safety point of view and from a business point of view it makes sense to get to know something about them before we head out to show them houses.
Be careful out there.
Teresa Boardman is a broker in St. Paul, Minn., and founder of the St. Paul Real Estate blog.
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Submitted by Pam Buda on January 15, 2009 - 2:25pm.
Hi Teresa,
Thanks for the reminder. It is difficult in a rural county such as Sonoma County to remember your rule sometimes, where a wide-spread geography, country property and out of town buyers make for some pre-meeting gyrations in order to find a neutral coffee shop, deli or some such when one of our offices is at the other end of the county and/or the home is at the end of some scenic lane.
It is especially challenging on a listing call. I will sometimes request that the seller remain at a property if meeting at the listing first is the logical, low carbon footprint way to go first time meeting with a client. Cold calls off listings can be challenging anyway, since I prefer to spend a good amount of time pre-qualifying someone before I will take time to meet them.
Submitted by Robert A. Hulme on January 15, 2009 - 2:34pm.
My major focus these days is Internet lead generation, I am getting most of my business from these leads and have had to learn how to gain their confidence long before I meet them. It isn't the easiest way to make a contact, personal referrals or working with your sphere of influence are much more comfortable.
Robert A. Hulme
Realtor, GRI, e-PRO
Prudential Utah Real Estate
Loan Officer
Envision Lending Group, Inc.
www.UtahCountyRealEstate.us
www.UtahHomesForSale.ws
801-885-2586
Submitted by Jean Powers CRS on January 15, 2009 - 3:13pm.
This is what I tell newer agents all the time. Never show property to anyone unless you have had a consultation with them first. It is very important to be careful at an open house too especially if the home is vacant. I had someone come through an open house years ago who scared me. He was a nice looking clean cut person. I asked normal questions. Do you live in the neighborhood, when are you thinking about purchasing a home etd. When he started to tell me that a blonde woman shouldn't be in a vacant home alone, I then got scared. I went out on the porch, called my husband and waited. Another couple came through and I asked if they would wait until I closed up. When I left, I saw him walking across the bridge. I live on an island. I knew then that I was lucky. So beware when holding an open house.
Jean Powers CRS, e-PRO, PMN
Broker Associate
Kane & Associates
Alameda, CA.
510 908.9002
Homes@JeanPowers.com
www.JeanPowers.net
Submitted by Eric Sachs on January 15, 2009 - 3:55pm.
This is an incredibly important time to be thinking about safety in our profession. I left a 13 year career in law enforcement to own and manage a real estate company in Colorado. As the economy continues to deteriorate over the next several months, crime rates will go up. Knowing from experience we as real estate professionals are pushing extremely hard to find a deal. This is a dangerous combination! Please remember safety first, there will always be another deal out there. I have a realtor safety presentation I have presented in Northern Colorado "Preparation vs. Panic an Exercise in Risk Reduction for Realtors" I would be happy to share my thoughts with anyone who wants to chat.
Eric Sachs
Broker/Owner
Infinity Group Realty
eric@infinitygrouprealty.com
970-420-1414
Submitted by Dru Bloomfield on January 16, 2009 - 4:12am.
Before meeting a new client in a safe place, I do an on-line search via Google, LinkedIn and Facebook, to see if I can get some preliminary background, and even some third party validation. One of the benefits of this approach is that I often learn a few things about my potential client that help us connect more quickly when we do meet face to face.
I've also asked to see a driver's license at the first meeting, explaining why I'm asking. A few years ago, I had clients who worked with the county morgue. They went so far as to insist I photocopy their licenses and put it in their file. I learned a lot from them, as my request generated a lot of conversation about personal safety.
Eric, I would like to hear more about your presentation. Sounds like important material for Realtors.
Teresa, You always write about the most helpful and appropriate topics. Thank you!
Dru Bloomfield
John Hall & Associates
Blog: www.AtHomeInScottsdale.com
Submitted by Kristin Noll-Marsh on January 21, 2009 - 3:23pm.
I saw a television segment earler this week, about an agent in Florida, who was attacked in 2006. She met the "buyer" at one house, then went back to her busy office with him. He chose a few more properties and they went out again to look at them. He asked all of the typical questions and even was excited about one home, asking her to call the listing agent to inquire about wood floors under the carpet, etc.
Then, he attacked her, hitting her with a gun, tied her up and threatened her with a knife. He robbed her and she was finally able to convince him to lock her in the closet.
When they finally caught the guy, he had a written manifesto, detailing how he intended to lure in and kill female real estate agents! He is awaiting trial. The agent has left real estate.
So, what can you possibly do in this situation?? The guy was a whack job and didn't care that his car and face was seen by the other people in the office! Maybe require people to sign in at the office and present an ID? Sound excessive? Maybe we are just too willing to put ourselves at risk to make the deal. Women, especially, tend to try to be nice and not offend, often to the point of ignoring warning signs.
Scary, just...scary.
http://bestmilwaukeehomes.com
http://blog.bestmilwaukeehomes.com