SILVAR  :  Newsroom  : Real Estate Articles

Real Estate Articles

REALTOR®: Safety Tips for Sellers at Open Houses

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Practicing safety measures is the smart thing to do, and as REALTORS® celebrate REALTOR® Safety Week during September 14-20, 2008, they share the following tips to protect their clients against crime, especially at an open house. Although having an open house is a good sales tool, it also exposes sellers to many strangers for the first time. Thieves and assailants have been known to prey on open houses. Sellers and buyers, too, can be vulnerable as they allow strangers into their homes, or visit other people's property.

• Remember that strangers will be walking through your home during showings or open houses. You should hide any valuables in a safe place, including prescription medications and alcohol, as well as personal information, such as bank statements that could be used for identity theft.

• Buyers and sellers should be warned that not all agents are who they say they are. If a stranger stops by a listing unannounced, the seller should ask the person to make an appointment with the realtor. Sellers should never show a home without an agent present, nor should they let a stranger in to view their home unannounced.

• Sellers are responsible for their pets. If possible, animals should be removed during showings. If buyers and agents are attacked by an animal, the owner will be held liable.

• During an open house, be alert to the pattern of visitors' arrivals, especially near the end of showing hours. In some areas, a group of thieves will show up together near the end of the open house and, while a string of supposed buyers distracts the realtor, the rest of the group walks through the house, stealing valuables.

• Inform a neighbor that your REALTOR® will be showing the house and ask if he or she would keep an eye and ear open for anything out of the ordinary.

• When leaving a property, whether after an open house or a showing, the realtor should make sure that all doors and windows are locked. Thieves commonly use open houses to scout for valuables and possible points of entry, and then return after the agent leaves.

• While the REALTOR® will take all of the above safety precautions, sellers should know when they return home, they should immediately verify that all doors are locked and all valuables accounted for.

This article is part of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®'® 2008 REALTOR® Safety Week Kit. Sources are the Nevada County Board of Realtors (CA) and Realty Times. For more ideas on how to protect your personal safety, visit NAR's Web site at www.REALTOR®.org/safety.


The Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® (SILVAR) is a professional trade organization representing over 4,000 REALTORS® and Affiliate members engaged in the real estate business on the Peninsula and in the South Bay. SILVAR promotes the highest ethical standards of real estate practice, serves as an advocate for homeownership and homeowners, and represents the interests of property owners in Silicon Valley.

The term "REALTOR®" is a registered collective membership mark which identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of REALTORS® and who subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics.

Variations of this article have appeared in local area newspapers.

For further information, please contact Rose Meily at SILVAR Public Affairs, email , or phone (408) 200-0109.

» Back to Real Estate Articles

Site Navigation