A.D. Cantelmo Property Management
Our Business is Property Management in Orange County California
Why Safety for Realtors should be a
concern
Every now
and then, you hear a story about a Realtor being killed while showing property.
In all honesty, I am surprised that it does not happen more often, especially
for new Realtors.
When I first
started in Real Estate, I was stunned at the female Realtors who would take a
call on the phone and run out to meet a potential client at night. Now I don’t want
to sound Sexist, but the potential for foul play to a Female Realtor is much
greater.
I talked too many of my female colleagues and they would tell me
stories of male clients who seemed to be using the excuse of looking for a home
as a form of dating or to spend time with them.
Here is the problem
and I stress much of these issues are due to new Realtors being too anxious to
make a sale.
Once you have a few miles on you as a Realtor you screen your
clients before you waste your time with them, but so many Real Estate Companies
push the new Realtors and I quote “Just get someone in your car.”
Here is what
needs to be done to stop potential predators from using Real Estate agents as
their prey.
1. All potential clients should be met in the
office during regular business hours while other people are around. Agents
should pre-screen any potential buyers by making them get pre-qualified by a
lender before showing them property. If the client is willing to go through
that process and now other people know who they are, the potential for abuse is
greatly diminished.
2.
You
should never put anyone in your car. Make clients meet you at a home or follow you.
Yes, this could be a little more inconvenient, but much safer and also will cut
down on the “lookie Loo’s” Many people may mean no harm but they enjoy being chauffeured around and
will never buy a home from you.
3 Any time you are going to meet with a
client, make sure other people know who you are going to be with and make sure
the client knows that someone else knows who they are. For Female Realtors, if you are dealing with a
couple buying a home together, never take the male client out without the
Female. The Male will never make a decision without his better half, so this
rule saves you time and a potential uncomfortable situation.
4. If you are doing an open house, have another
Realtor do it with you. This is good for many reasons, first it helps with boredom
on a slow day, but also helps with safety and two sets of eyes on a home is
much better than one while people walk through a home. If you are doing an open
house alone, never follow a client into a back room. You can talk to the client
in the main room, but let then walk through alone. Do not get in a situation
where you have no escape route.
These rules may seem too difficult for Realtors, but will keep you much
safer when you show houses. Real Estate Brokers have an obligation, especially to
new Realtors to explain the potential danger that can come from showing
property. Again, these problems are rare, but they do happen.
A.D. Cantelmo Property Management Specializes in Property
Management on Orange County Ca.