Sources say that the Phoenix Valley is the fastest growing area in the country right now. Some people believe this is an excellent time to sell their homes, either to buy a bogger home, downsize, or even leave the area entirely. Regardless of the reason, security during the process of showing and selling a home is crucial.
REAL ESTATE AGENT?
Some families opt to have a real estate company to handle their home sale. But is that a safe option? Can a homeowner trust the agent to treat the property securely? Moreover, can a homeowner even trust a real estate agent?
Yes, according to Phoenix realtor Jim Red of The Winston Group. He claims, “Real estate is generally more secure when you’re using a realty company to show a property. When a home is listed, we have to use lockboxes that actually keep track of when we enter and leave. Other steps can also be taken, such as showing by appointment only or prospective buyers being escorted by the listing agent.”
Jim, who has been in the business for several decades, told me that he always checks the locks, but that, ‘we are people, too, and sometimes miss something. I went to a house the other day, and the door was unlocked.” But, there is no way to tell who did it.
DO YOUR PART
The fact that this happens, even though Jim admits it’s rare, means that you need to do your part to keep your property secure, too! Here are some ways you can keep your property safe through the selling process.
- Never leave valuables out in the open, including purses or wallets, cash, credit cards, drugs (not even in the medicine cabinet!), or any keys. These include car, house, and gate keys.
- If you’re selling your property without an agent, make sure the phone message isn’t “We aren’t home right now.” This tells people you’re gone because if you were home, you’d answer the phone. Don’t offer any private information (plans, names, etc.)
- Check all doors and windows after an open house, even those which are located upstairs.
- Keep a prospective buyer within your sight at all times.
- Never show your home when you are by yourself. Make sure you have someone else there, such as the agent or someone else is with you.
- Never offer any personal information at all that someone could use as a weakness. (Vacation plans, yours or family member names, etc.)
- Identify each potential buyer if you don’t use an agent. Ask to see their I.D.and write the information down. Some people take the license plate number of the car as a precaution. Most prospective buyers understand the reasons for this when you explain it.
- Don’t ever show prospective buyers the alarm system or the code, the garage door code, or give them any other security information–not your work schedule, not your the names of neighbors, not anything they could use to contrive to their nefarious purposes.
- Trust your gut. If someone makes you feel uneasy, cancel the showing.
Keep your property secure so that burglars never have an opportunity to ‘get on the inside,’ even if it’s just for a few minutes.
B1 Locksmith is an automotive, residential and commercial locksmith service offering emergency lockout and transponder key services in the Phoenix Valley. Several Valley locations. (844) 821-5625. We offer commercial access control and security system services. We are committed to providing the best services for our customers. We duplicate any vehicle Smart key.
