Safety is always a concern of mine for both me, my team, and my clients. Oddly enough, agents work in a profession where we and our clients are frequently targeted for a variety of opportunistic crimes such as burglary, assault, rape, and murder. Recently, notices went out from our local MLS letting agents know that a strange man was attempting to lure female agents to vacant properties. I’m pasting in the full content of that original notice. There has been an update on the MLS site since then that actually has a photo available of this potentially dangerous person.
“February 6, 2008. NWMLS has recently received reports of potential dangerous situations regarding a man attempting to lure women agents to homes.
A man named Christopher Heath (from Vermont) is trying to get female agents out to vacant properties. Most of the properties he is interested in are vacant and secluded. He has been arranging to meet with several agents in the area (Duvall, Monroe, Kent).
Heath claims to be relocating here to work at the Fire Academy in North Bend. He claims to be a widower, retired firefighter, cash buyer searching for rural setting with room and privacy for the 2 search-and-rescue dogs he has for his job here with the Seattle Fire Department.
He originally was looking for a house priced between $400,000 and $600,000. He later changed the price to a million, saying it was going to be a cash deal and that the money would be wired from Merrill Lynch.
One agent was feeling uncomfortable with the situation and began a background check. The Fire Academy has never heard of him. He had called from a New York phone number so she did a reverse search — it was a doctor’s cell phone # — when she called the number the next day it had been cancelled.
A 2nd agent called the number she had been given in Vermont and spoke to his wife (he claimed to be a widower). She said there are about 10 different female real estate agents leaving him messages and she found many Seattle area agents on his home computer. According to his wife, he was in the middle of taking out a home equity loan on his wife’s (of 4 months) home. His wife just happened to be home and saw the appraiser measuring her home – a 30-acre horse ranch in Vermont.
Another agent arranged to meet with him today (February 6). She told him by voice mail and email that they would be meeting at her office to introduce themselves in person and to go over their tour and initial real estate paper work. She told him it was their company policy to meet new clients at their office, introduce them to their office manager and to make a copy of their driver’s license. She has not heard from him since.
His wife believes he is now in New York heading to Washington.
The situation has been reported to the police.
Please be careful! If this man contacts you, contact your local authority.”
Making this seem even more important to bring to public attention was news that RE/MAX agents received yesterday of a murdered colleague in Canada. The same type of tactic used by this guy noted above was used to lure a 24-year old agent to a vacant home where she was then stabbed to death. Purportedly, she had expressed concerns about going out to this viewing for a variety of reasons based on the calls she received asking for the showing. I wish she’d listened to her gut and not gone but we can’t change what happened now, but I can certainly put out a warning to others in hopes that they’ll escape a similar fate in the future.
When it comes to sellers, I also speak strongly about safety measures. Just because a sign is in your front yard doesn’t mean you need to open the door to just anyone because they ask. Follow all the same security procedures you would if the house wasn’t on the market. If someone comes to the door, ask them to set up an appointment with their agent, or your own agent so that there is a layer of qualifying put in place. If you happen to be home and an agent comes to your door, to make sure they really are an agent make sure they first check in with the keybox. Only agents have the products available to them to open these boxes. The key boxes are geared specifically to capture electronic data so that the people going in and out of your home can be monitored, plus it allows for follow up and feedback, also necessary for the agent selling your home to do their job most effectively. This came up recently when a client had stayed home with a sick child. A bunch of agents came over and went through the house without logging in to the keybox. I told her that in the future she should have every single agent log in before allowing them into her home.
Having an open house potentially puts your belongings at risk so if you have anything of value – whether it’s monetary or personal in nature – put it away. Medicines in your cabinet? Put them where they can’t be picked up by snooping people or those there to see if they can pick up their “fix”. Sometimes it can seem entirely benign to have an open house but what you’re doing is inviting complete strangers in, who haven’t been qualified by anyone specific much less a lender and/or agent, who will come traipsing through your home. Even if people are asked to sign in they will oftentimes put down false information because they want to remain anonymous. I’m not saying “don’t do it” at all, but rather think about safety measures that can keep you, your family, and your belongings safe throughout the sale.
wow – that’s creepy!
Many years ago I read a statistical report that listed real estate as the 10th most dangerous job, due mainly to assaults, murder and simpler things like wallet or purse theft. I think fishing/crabbing might have been the number one or number two dangerous job.
It’s can be quite dangerous out there, for men as well as women.
Across the border in British Columbia there have been several tragic murders of realtors over the years. Recently a realtor was murdered on Vancouver island.
Back in the 1980s I went to school with the son of a realtor who was stabbed to death in the Abbotsford area. I know it hit him pretty hard.
http://www.bclocalnews.com/fraser_valley/theprogress/news/15463766.html
I am always surprised more realtors do not carry handguns or at least tasers. I know that if my job was to meet strangers in random empty houses, I would be carrying a pistol with me every time.
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I’ve taken self defense classes for this reason and I make sure when I go into a house with a known client that we lock doors behind us or we open more doors to allow for escape routes, if necessary. Personally, I don’t go show places when I feel a bad gut feeling or I’ll make a point of taking my business partner (who is an NRA member) with me to that appointment. Other tactics are to put off the meeting by asking lots of qualifying questions to show I’m creating a profile of the person, just in case. From a buyer’s agent perspective I refuse to show houses unless someone has a pre-existing relationship or a buyer’s agency agreement with me. Going through those steps usually eliminates the weirdos because so much information is obtained in the process and they’re exposed to lots of people in our office, team, etc.
http://www.remax.net/stories/mainst/20080219/7998.htm
it was brought to my attention that one of my links wasn’t working so I’m reposting it here.
b wrote:
“I am always surprised more realtors do not carry handguns or at least tasers. I know that if my job was to meet strangers in random empty houses, I would be carrying a pistol with me every time.”
People who think guns are a good defense are just plain naive. No amount of training can prepare you for that moment. People end up doing more harm to themselves than good. But, it is in the constitution so do as you wish. GL!
NAR—NRA. Coincidence? 😉
#9 “People who think guns are a good defense are just plain naive. No amount of training can prepare you for that moment. People end up doing more harm to themselves than good. But, it is in the constitution so do as you wish. GL! ”
On the other hand, not having a gun or taser or whatever means that even with all the training in the world, you are not prepared for that moment.
The answer seems to me to be: get a gun, learn how to use it, take the combat training courses, and hope you never have to find out whether you’ve got what it takes to respond.
-rsh
Notorious Rob-
I would practice common sense and use some of the tips that Reba had provided above BEFORE considering buying a gun.
Q-Diddy
I guess the police you would to call to help you are naive as well? A person with a handgun and proper training on its use are in an extremely good defensive position for this kind of situation. Its common sense that you would do those other things before buying a gun, but some sort of personal defense weapon would be very important especially if you are not a large or muscular person. Only very highly trained people are able to take down someone who is physically much larger than themselves and intent on harming you.
Thanks, QD, I do agree that there are many other ways to first try and keep yourself out of harm’s way. However, there are those times where someone is just plain crazy or because they don’t “seem” crazy people go places with them anyway. Can you say “Ted Bundy”?
b-
“I guess the police you would to call to help you are naive as well? a person with a handgun and proper training on its use are in an extremely good defensive position for this kind of situation”
Think about what you just wrote. Police officers spend countless hours on training, handling, and shooting and they might even have been in similar situations before. It’s the training and experience that puts them in the best position to use a gun successfully – they increase their odds and limit their mistakes.
Are you suggesting that a RE agent is going to dedicate the time and training it takes to be as competant as a police officer? Ha! I think most RE agents will tell you they have other things to worry about, like trying to help their clients!
But alas, I shall digress. Any RE agents want to chime in?
Carrying a gun is only a good idea if you do take the time to train with it. Going out and buying one just for the sake of having one is to invite trouble. That’s why if I feel I need that kind of support I ask my partner along – he has lots of training. I’ve done some, but I am not comfortable carrying one regularly. However, I will tell you that if put in a life or death situation and a gun was available to me and I knew how to use it – I would use it with no hesitation.
Reba-
Anyone put in a life or death situation will reach for whatever they have at that moment to save themselves – trained or not. I think you and I are on the same page. Leave the gun carrying thang to the cops. RE agents are better off without them.
“Many years ago I read a statistical report that listed real estate as the 10th most dangerous job…”
I’d bet car accidents are the reason the job was so high up on the list.
“People who think guns are a good defense are just plain naive. No amount of training can prepare you for that moment. People end up doing more harm to themselves than good. But, it is in the constitution so do as you wish. GL!”
That isn’t entirely accurate. Numerous studies point out that a highly trained armed individual will successfully defend themselves. The training creates an automatic reaction to function under pressure similar to that of military personnel in combat. The trouble begins when the armed individual is not trained. The same studies indicate those untrained armed individuals are more likely to be hurt by the assailant or hurt themselves. The untrained individual is more likely to have their weapon taken by the assailant. The decision to obtain the proper training and carry a firearm is a serious decision. You have made the choice to end a life to defend yourself. Shooting someone in the knee only happens in the movies. Retreat first if possible. Armed defense is the last resort. In states that have liberalized the ability to obtain a concealed carry permit the incidence of violent crime has decreased. The opposite is true in states that have restricted the ability to obtain a concealed carry permit.
“Think about what you just wrote. Police officers spend countless hours on training, handling, and shooting and they might even have been in similar situations before. It’s the training and experience that puts them in the best position to use a gun successfully – they increase their odds and limit their mistakes.”
The required training isn’t as much as you think it is and it varies by jurisdiction.
As far as the constitution goes is it…..
The right to keep armed bears
The right to keep and arm bears
The right to arm and keep bears
NAR…NRA. the National Realtor Rifle Association…the new world order conspiracy. Have you seen the black helicopters flying over the FSBOs?
Hear how Leann, one of my Buyers Agents, had a gun pointed at her by a SWAT team when showing a home!
http://tinyurl.com/66rwur
WARNING to agents in the Portland area! I have received contact from a person in Oregon who claims to have had contact with Chris Heath and that he is beginning to use these same tactics in their area. Please be careful and report any unusual activity to the authorities immediately!!!
CHRISTOPHER HEATH – MARIPOSA COUNTY – SAN DIEGO COUNTY
I have had contact with Christopher Heath for a week now…he first emailed and then a week later started calling from the San Diego area. He talks about being a Christian and seems like a person of high moral values. I thought he was a great guy! He was coming out Friday to look at big ranches with me…wanted me to arrange horses so that we could really see all of the acreage. I had already planned on having my broker accompany (though I did not tell Heath this).
He offered all of the same info as in the other stories posted. He stated that he would be paying cash and promptly provided a Merril Lynch Statement and gave me a credit card to reserve his hotel room. The Statement was fraudulent and card was denied.
THE GOOD NEWS…He was arrested yesterday in San Diego County and is held without bail for a fugetive charge. He court date is tomorrow 10/29/09.
He is also being charged with fraud by two Ford Dealerships in Southern California.
If anyone else has had any contact with this guy, they should contact the San Diego DA who will be prosecuting Heath – the phone number is 760-806-4004.
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