A member shared an incident that occurred at their listing recently as a warning to other members and as a safety reminder. Someone texted the agent a photo of her listing sign and asked for the lockbox code to access and view the home which was staged, vacant, and listed at a high price point. Thinking perhaps it was another agent, the listing agent responded via text and tried calling but did not get a response.
About five minutes later, another phone number texted the listing agent with a photo of the address and lockbox, asking for the code for the door. The visitors attempted to access the home by entering wrong codes into the door lock, which eventually locked out.
After a bit of correspondence, the listing agent’s husband, who is also licensed, went to show the home. When he arrived, there were three people there and two dogs waiting. The homeowner, who lives nearby, also came to the property. Eventually, the seller and the agent had to ask the visitors to leave the property, and law enforcement was notified.
Only real estate professionals who have made an appointment and use the lockbox should gain access to a listed property. You and your seller have the right to decline any showing request. If you feel like something is not right during a showing or open house, ask the agent and their client(s), or the visitor, to leave. If they do not do so immediately, call the police. Read more safety tips and find more resources in our blog post, Help Your Sellers Keep Their Homes Safe When Listed.
NOTE: This message is based on reports from BRR members and is provided solely for informational purposes. BRR does not make any warranty, implied or otherwise, as to the validity or accuracy. Please understand the association cannot file a police report on someone’s behalf, cannot run background checks on individuals, nor can we share information about any individual with others, per the advice of legal counsel. We do encourage members to report any suspicious or criminal behavior to local authorities immediately, and to use these alerts as a reminder to assess your personal safety habits and practices.
