Safety tips for sellers when showing their home
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
It is a REALTOR®'s job to protect consumers in a real estate transaction, but the physical safety of their clients is also important. Buyers and sellers, too, can be vulnerable as they allow strangers into their homes, or visit other people's property. Practicing safety measures is the smart thing to do, and as the Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® observes REALTOR® Safety Month in September, REALTORS® share the following tips to protect their clients against crime, especially at an open house.
An open house can be a great sales tool, but it also exposes you to numerous unfamiliar people for the first time. Thieves and assailants have been known to prey on open houses. Be watchful of suspicious behavior.
- Sellers should remember that strangers will be walking through their home during showings or open houses. For security's sake, remember to remove keys, credit cards, jewelry, crystal, furs and other valuables, including alcohol and prescription medications and lock them away during showings.
- DON'T leave personal information like mail or bills out in the open where anyone can see it. Be sure to lock down your computer and lock up your laptop and any other expensive, easy-to-pocket electronics, like iPods, before your showing.
- If a stranger stops by a listing unannounced, the seller should ask the person to make an appointment with their REALTOR®. Sellers should never show a home without their 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.
- 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, then return after the agent leaves.
- While the REALTOR® will take all of the above safety precautions, clients 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®® REALTOR®® Safety Week Kit. Sources are the Nevada County Board of REALTORS® (CA) and Realty Times. For more information on how to protect your personal safety, visit 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 email or call the SILVAR office at (408) 200-0100.
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