Good morning! It’s a great time to be in Prescott, Arizona – I love the monsoon season. This is Gary Edelbrock, and today’s column will be a little different. Two people posing as realtors were arrested in the Phoenix Metro area this week, so I thought it would be a good idea to go over some safety suggestions for when one is showing their home. I put a call out for safety tips and ideas, and I got not one column, but two!

Read: Chandler Couple Posing as Realtors, Allegedly Commits Burglary

Our two (really, three) experts are Nancy and Brian Biggs, with Prudential Northern Arizona Real Estate, and Holly Mabery with the Heartland Group at Keller Williams Check Realty.

Safe Practices When Listing Your Home

On Friday, July 13, the police announced the arrest of a Chandler couple who were posing as real estate agents and attempting to steal from homes listed for sale.  This incident occurred in the greater Phoenix area where there are more homes for sale and higher crime rates than in the Prescott area.  Thankfully, we have not seen many incidents of real estate crime in the Prescott area. However, it is important to remain vigilant. 

Here are some simple points to remember when listing your home for sale.

• Hire a licensed real estate agent.   To become a licensed real estate agent, the Arizona Department of Real Estate performs a fingerprint and background check to make sure that agents do not have a criminal history.  If an agent is convicted of a misdemeanor or felony, the agent must notify the Department of Real Estate within ten days.  Depending on the severity and nature of the crime, the Department can terminate the individual’s license.  To confirm that an agent is licensed, go to: http://159.87.254.2/publicdatabase/SearchIndividuals.aspx on the AZ Dept. of Real Estate website, and type in the name of the agent.  The agent’s status (active, inactive, terminated), the agent’s brokerage, any open complaints, and any disciplinary actions will be listed.
• Hire a licensed real estate agent who is also a member of the Prescott Area Association of REALTORS®.  As a member, the real estate agent is held accountable to a Code of Ethics that is more stringent than Arizona real estate laws.  The agent will also use the highly secure, electronic, lockboxes that can only be opened by active, Prescott REALTORS®.  To confirm that an agent is a member of the Prescott Area Association of REALTORS®, go to: http://www.paar.org/find-a-realtor/. – Nancy and Brian
• If you are listed with a REALTOR, they will have a procedure for showings and will ask you about showing your house.  Many times, we are able to securely use an electronic lock box that will record access by any of our fellow REALTOR members.  For me, I receive an email within moments of one of my boxes being accessed. So I know the name of the agent, their office, and contact information. Many of these lockboxes can also be programmed for timed access.  So no one can gain access to the box during certain times. – Holly
• Ensure that your list agent installs the secure, electronic lockbox.  These lockboxes have been designed for your protection. They can only be opened electronically by agents who have registered their electronic key that day. The lockboxes are also controlled by a password which must be entered when opening the lockbox.  The lockbox electronically records the person, time, and date, whenever it is accessed.  – Nancy and Brian
• When you list your house, please don’t leave any exterior doors unsecured.  Agents try to leave a home as they have found it.  Living in a rural area, many people leave their homes wide open.  I request my clients always lock all exterior doors so the house is secure.  This is just good practice always. – Holly
• Never open your door to someone who randomly calls you asking to see your house.  If the person is a real estate agent it is common practice to coordinate a showing through your list agent or list agent’s brokerage.  A real estate agent should use the lockbox to obtain the key, even if you are at home during the showing.  If the agent does not have the ability to open the electronic lockbox, then your list agent should confirm the agent’s license and meet the showing agent at your house to provide access. – Nancy and Brian
• If your house is listed for sale, people may be driving the neighborhood and some may stop you as you are collecting your mail or knock on your door and ask you if they could see the house.  The excuses may range from they don’t have an agent or they don’t want to bother their agent. Some folks can be very persistent, that’s ok, always direct them to your listing agent for an appointment. Don’t ever let anyone into your home that you don’t know that doesn’t have an appointment through your agent. We help to screen prospective buyers and its one more layer of protection.  In the instance of the burglaries in Phoenix, the thieves contacted the sellers directly posing as real estate agents and arranged for the sellers to be gone during the time they wanted to show. They did not call the listing agent. – Molly
• In addition, the real estate agent should leave a business card at the property. If the person calling or knocking is not an agent, then instruct them to call your list agent to make an appointment to view the home.  Serious buyers will be willing to do so. Ideally your list agent will confirm that the person is a ready, willing, and able buyer for your home prior to setting an appointment to see the home. – Nancy and Brian
• As Realtors, when we show houses that are occupied, we do our best to keep all members of the showing party together to look at the house together. Closets will be looked in and drawers will be opened in the kitchen for buyers to get a feel of the house. The best advice I give my sellers:
  • please remove all jewelry and money from the tops of dressers and relocate to a secure place.
  • Guns should be locked in a secure storage or removed from the home.  
  • Clear off your desk in the office of financial papers and your check book.
  • If you have a lot of prescription medication, please don’t leave that out on the counter tops but locate it to a more inconspicuous location.
• Not only will this de-clutter these areas and assist with your showing but temptation removed helps tremendously.  – Molly
• Put away any items of value that might easily “walk away.” We have not personally had any items stolen from our listed homes, but it is best not to leave any temptations.  Additionally, be sure that any firearms in the home are secured. – Nancy and Brian
• Finally, in photos and videos that are used in marketing make sure you remove or relocate anything of extreme value that could be considered a temptation, or try to make sure it does not appear in the photos that are used to promote your property.  Our team works closely with our listing photographer to make sure that we shoot the house and not the personal property.
  So best practices when you are ready to sell your house, follow the instructions you may have given your children:
  • Don’t open the door for just anyone. Encourage them to call your agent for an appointment
  • Clean up and de-clutter all valuables, important papers, prescription medicine and fire arms.
  • Lock the doors to the outside and every member of the house should have their own key to have access. Never leave the door open for anyone.
  • Don’t answer the door after dark
  • Take great photos of the features of your home, not your personal items.

  When in doubt, call your agent, we are here to help you in this transition and make it a smooth one. – Molly

Crime rates are fairly low in the Prescott area.  Criminals are less likely to steal if they have to meet with an agent and give away their identity.  Remain vigilant, follow these simple steps, and you should have an incident-free sale. – Nancy and Brian

Nancy and Brian Biggs, Associate Brokers
Prudential Northern Arizona Real Estate
928-273-7113,
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www.BiggsRealtors.com

Holly Mabery is an Associate Broker with the Heartland Group at Keller Williams Check Realty and is also the 2012 President of the Arizona Association of Realtors. She may be reached at 928-239-0081 or
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