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Staying Safe While Selling Your Home By Owner
mage the following This is often difficult to do but
situation: you are home is very effective in deterring
with your children while problems. Your risks are
your spouse is away when you hear significantly lower if you show
a knock on the door. It’s someone your home to visitors with a
who saw your yard sign while friend or spouse present. If
driving by and wishes to take a someone is not available to help
tour of your home. You are now you, then ask your visitors to
faced with a situation that many stop by another time when you can
unrepresented sellers are faced arrange for some help.
with daily – do you turn away a
potential buyer or do you let 2. Set appointments
them in and perhaps endanger the
safety of your family? Another tool is to automatically
ask all stop-in visitors to come
Realtors are often trained in back at another scheduled time
home showing safety techniques for a showing. This is also a
and have quite a few tools at great way to weed out the
their disposal to mitigate these unmotivated who might only be
risks. They know the correct interested in seeing inside your
questions to ask and the red home and have no intention of
flags to watch out for. If you actually placing an offer.
haven’t thought of this, here is
a quick list of some things you 3. Keep groups of visitors
should consider before you answer together during a showing
the door or the phone:
Don’t leave someone downstairs
1. Do not show your home by while you show someone the
yourself. upstairs or allow groups to split
up. Thefts have occurred and some
criminals are very skilled at you in an hour, to call the
getting themselves into this police.
situation, claiming “bad knees”
or other medical problems that 5. Don’t let visitors box you
require that they be “left inside a room
behind”. If this occurs, have a
helper or spouse keep the other Always keep a clear avenue to an
party company while you show the exit. Don’t go first into a room
home to the rest. If you are – ask your guests to go first.
alone (hopefully you aren’t), ask 6. Ask the right questions.
them to wait outside while you
finish showing the home to the A few questions will tell you a
rest of the party. lot about a potential buyer.
Realtors are experts at reading
4. Keep a phone handy people and you can be too, if you
know what to look for.
If you have a cell phone or
cordless phone, make sure you Ask a potential buyer if they
have it with you during a have been pre-qualified or
showing. Also, if you have a car pre-approved by a lender. If so,
alarm, keep your keys with you in they are probably serious buyers.
case you need to use the “Panic If not, you might want to ask
Button” on your remote. You can them to set an appointment for a
also ask your visitors to wait showing – if they are not willing
outside while you “prepare the to do this, they are probably
house” and call a friend or either unmotivated or may be a
family member. Let them know that safety concern.
you will be doing a showing and Ask them when they’re looking to
will call them back when it’s move and if they have a home to
done and if they don’t hear from sell first. This will also give
you an indication of motivation being that they have just started
as well as warn you if they are looking for a house and don’t yet
unable to answer these questions have representation. However,
quickly. other possibilities may include a
lack of motivation, no desire to
Ask how long they have been buy (I.E. “We’re just
looking for a home. Again, this looking…..”), or other more
is a dual-purpose question. If dangerous reasons. Just be
your answer is “6 months”, you cautious and stay safe.
probably have an unmotivated
buyer. If the answer is 7. Be careful of what questions
“Ummm…..”, you should watch out. you answer.
You can always ask to see Never tell someone when you won’t
identification before you let be home, especially over the
them in. Tell them that you just phone. A better phrase is, “the
want to be safe - buyers will house won’t be available for a
understand. showing at that time”. Other
questions from a visitor/caller
Ask them if they are being that would raise a warning would
represented by a Realtor. Nearly be, “Do you live alone?”, “Do you
97% of buyers are represented by work during the day?”, “Will your
Realtors and should be spouse be home soon so we can
accompanied by them when they meet them?”, “Do you have a
tour homes. If they are working security system?”, or similar
with a Realtor, ask them to have probing questions.
their Realtor contact you for a
showing. If they aren’t working 8. Watch out for Red Flags
with a Realtor, there are many
possibilities, the most innocent There are a few safety concerns
that should be kept in mind and home. Nothing is worth giving up
if you encounter them, think your security. If you are
twice and maybe opt for an presented with a situation that
appointment instead of an might compromise this, always opt
immediate showing. for another appointment and don’t
open the door. The scheduled
Visitors at night or early appointment is your best tool for
morning. being prepared for guests and
staying safe. Serious buyers will
Two or more visitors if you are understand and be willing to
alone. return at another time.
Visitors unwilling to set a If many of these precautions are
scheduled appointment for a difficult or impossible, you can
showing. always seek representation from a
Realtor. One of the many benefits
The types of probing questions of selling your home with
described above. professional help is that safety
is always a top priority and many
Always remember that the safety issues and concerns can be
of you and your family is your prevented and eliminated.
greatest possession – not your
About the Author:
Eric Rogers - Century 21 Pro-Team
Aurora Real Estate and Aurora Subdivisions expert.
Read more articles by: Eric Rogers
Article Source: www.iSnare.com |
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