Safety Alert

Another safety alert was issued this week to REALTORS by the St. Paul Area Association of REALTORS.  Recently a seller was approached by a man claiming to be an agent who wanted to preview her home.  Without thinking, she let the man into her house and was assaulted and raped.

This tragic occurence emphasizes even more the increased danger in selling a home these days.  Agents are being warned repeatedly to take safety precautions.  They are warned to get copies of ID before taking a client to see houses.  They are warned not to have open houses alone.  They are warned to warn their clients of safety issues.

What should sellers be aware of regarding safety?

• Strangers are going to traipse through your house.  Put all valuables in a safety deposit box or at least put them out of sight.  Put all medications in a secure place.  Most importantly, put all weapons in a locked cabinet or remove them from the home.  Put breakables away.
• The showing procedure for listed homes in the Minneapolis Saint Paul metropolitan area is designed to protect sellers.  Agents are NOT supposed to come to your door and ask for a showing.  All showings are supposed to be arranged through the listing company.  The listing company confirms a showing at the buyers' brokerage phone number instead of to the agent directly.  This verifies that the agent is licensed and not a stranger on the street.
• The electronic lockbox system protects sellers from unauthorized access.  The keypad for these boxes is registered to a specific agent or affiliate and is not supposed to be used by any other party.  Every time the keypad is used to access the lockbox, the registered user's name and time of entry is recorded.   Security procedures require the keypads be updated daily.
• Usually buyers with agents have been pre-qualified for being able to buy the home.  The buyer's agent doesn't want to waste your time or their own by taking unqualified buyers on house tours.  This reduces the risk from "looky-loos" coming in your home.
• The presence of an agent with a potential buyer provides the seller with more protection from physical harm.  The presence of an agent also is a deterrent to theft and breakage of household items.
• Conducting an open house alone is a potential hazard.  If you are selling your house without an agent representing you, make sure you have someone else in the home during your open house.

No matter how perfectly we order our lives, mishaps can still happen, but following these safety guidelines can reduce the risk.

Comments

[Rosalie]

Excellent information. I would like to add that if someone is selling their house without an agent, they should NEVER sign anything without the advice of a good real estate attorney. There are many scams out there that could end in disaster for an owner.
Personally, I think selling your house without an agent is like an attorney representing his or herself. A very foolish idea.

[Leanne Paynter, Florida Realtor]

Bonnie, those are some great tips. I've always strongly believed that only the electronic lockboxes (not combo) should be used for security purposes. Education is key in preventing some of these crimes from happening. Glad to see you're doing your part in educating sellers... just one more thing that shows me how professional you are and that you care about your clients.

[Teresa Boardman]

Great safety tips, I put a link from my blog.