Real Estate Safety Tips Important During The Holidays | Tallahassee ...

Real Estate Safety Tips Important During The Holidays

Real estate safety is a topic that I have not written much about, but I think it might be far overdue.

There are three levels to real estate safety that many folk might never consider, especially in a place as safe and cordial as Tallahassee, Florida.

But the world can be a dangerous place, so home buyers, home sellers, and real estate agents alike should practice wise real estate safety.

Real Estate Safety For REALTORS

It is very common for prospective buyers to contact real estate agents and say ?I?d like to see the home for sale at 123 Main Street.? And often times, agents who are hungry for business make the mistake of agreeing to meet at the property. This is a bad decision.

This creates a real estate safety issue for the buyer (assuming they do not know anything about the real estate agent), an issue for the agent (assuming they have never met the prospective buyer), and the homeowner, who did not agree to allow unqualified people to go through their home.

There are plenty of cases reported throughout the US where real estate agents have gone to meet strangers and have been scammed, harmed, robbed, and even killed.

Our Real Estate Security Policy at Century 21 Manausa and Associates requires all first contacts to occur at the office or at a safe location, not at a property for sale. We do this to protect ourselves and our customers.

Real Estate Safety For Buyers

Buyers often have no thoughts of real estate safety because they let their excitement of buying a home lead them through the buying process. But this just isn?t wise.

Homebuyers should always demand to meet the real estate agent at the office.

They should interview and hire a real estate buyer?s agent before previewing any homes, and this isn?t just for real estate safety either.

Buying a home should be both fun and safe, and ensuring that you have a great real estate buyer?s agent is the correct first step.

Real Estate Safety For Sellers

Homeowners need to practice smart real estate safety as well.

Do some research before you interview agents for the job of selling your home.

Follow readily available, common sense tips for home sellers.

Demand that all buyers be screened before being brought to your home. Even if real estate safety wasn?t an issue, why would you want your home visited by strangers who have no desire or means to purchase it?

Also, require an electronic lock box be used to maintain the key to your home. This way, if anything is broken or stolen when your home is shown, there will be a record of which agent(s) last showed the home.

Just as with buyers, real estate safety for sellers comes from hiring a trusted, well known real estate company (like Century 21 ).