Safety in Real Estate Listings

Navigate Your Real Estate Listing Safely

Selling a home is the most important financial transaction most of us make in our lifetimes. We want to maximize profits and do the job quickly so as to move on with our lives. In order to do this, we need to make our property available for viewing by as many real potential buyers as we can. By allowing your agent to use a for sale sign, a keysafe or "lockbox" and solid advertising, you can affect the length of time and the dollar amount your property will sell for. Often times we hear "I don't want to have a sign in the yard, the neighbors will all know I am selling" or "do you HAVE to distribute flyers right here in our own neighborhood?"

Folks, if you want to sell quickly, you should hope to see your home at halftime on the next superbowl game. Neighbors often know a friend or relative that wants to move in the area; they can be a great source of potential buyers for your agent to search. The issue here is simply this.

Although we want maximum exposure of your sale, we want to make it extremely safe for you and your property. There are some very simple rules to follow in this regard. We must expect the worse from people while hoping for the best. Put away all of your expensive items, or better yet, remove them from the property.

There is simply no reason to tempt fate.

Also, don't let anyone in to see your property without an agent. The agents should have called you first to try and see if you were available to schedule a showing before just "going directly" and using the lockbox. It is better (and safer) if you are just not home when the property is being shown by agents to their buyers. Make appointments, then go for a walk and return after they've gone. When returning from being away from home, examine the lockbox before entering...see if the keyholder is still in the box. If it is, and your doors are locked, then there's probably noone inside...probably. These keyboxes make it convenient to show property and are really the only way to go if you want to sell quickly, but some caution must be used. If your agent is using a combination type lockbox, be sure he doesn't list the combination in the multiple listing service, but rather, that he ask brokers to call his office for the combination, and log in a journal the parties inquiring, after a call back to their office. He should also change the combination often.

Use common sense and you'll be fine.