How often does this happen during a showing? (Theft) (agents, felons, listing)
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I post this just as a curiosity thing. I know that the vast majority of real estate agents are professional and ethical people and hopefully most clients are as well. But I have a 35 year background in LE and saw the arrest of several agents and several clients. Again, I know there are bad apples in every profession so I am not picking on anyone here or your profession. We have our house listed and we have just put an offer down on a home and there is a topic on here regarding that.
We had an agent arrested very recently in my area who was caught on hidden camera stealing meds from a home. Evidently things were stolen in many homes she's visited. My guess she is dependent on RX meds. Not sure if this was a client of hers or just a home she gained access too. I have a sign on my front door advising everyone that there is hidden surveillance in my home.
Have you seen much of this in your careers or is this a rarity in the business? My professional opinion is that it happens more than we realize but any criminal acts are committed by a very small number of people.
I post this just as a curiosity thing. I know that the vast majority of real estate agents are professional and ethical people and hopefully most clients are as well. But I have a 35 year background in LE and saw the arrest of several agents and several clients. Again, I know there are bad apples in every profession so I am not picking on anyone here or your profession. We have our house listed and we have just put an offer down on a home and there is a topic on here regarding that.
We had an agent arrested very recently in my area who was caught on hidden camera stealing meds from a home. Evidently things were stolen in many homes she's visited. My guess she is dependent on RX meds. Not sure if this was a client of hers or just a home she gained access too. I have a sign on my front door advising everyone that there is hidden surveillance in my home.
Have you seen much of this in your careers or is this a rarity in the business? My professional opinion is that it happens more than we realize but any criminal acts are committed by a very small number of people.
I have a preference for listing and showing vacant homes, and this is just another reason why.
It is difficult to convince some homeowners to remove valuables, medications, guns, etc., from their house.
We had a rash of jewelry thefts a couple of years ago. But, all in all, it isn't all that common here. That is little consolation if it is YOUR heirloom jewelry or prescription medication that disappears.
We had an agent in our area a couple of years back that lost her license and was prosecuted for stealing in homes. She was setting up "showings" but not actually taking a client in the home, just using that to gain access to occupied properties. She had been an agent in our area for a long time.
Then she got her husband licensed and just continued on in her business under his name and got busted for doing business as an unlicensed agent and tried to claim it was not "her" doing the business, it was him....but there was too much evidence to state otherwise.
We always tell sellers to either remove valuables from their home and/or lock them and any medications in a safe during the listing.
It is rare that we have such issues in my area but not unheard of. We always suggest to sellers to lock up items of value like jewelry and meds. Sadly for some people including agents and people viewing the property the temptation is just too much.
Most agents have a radar for odd people and they know to watch out with them.
Another thing to watch out for would be "buyers" at an open house that unlock a door or window so they can slink back through it after the open house is done. Check them all before you leave.
I have heard of an agent who stole and used the deposit/ escrow money to feed their drug habit. Like they wouldn't be caught?
When I was selling, I had too much to look up, so I wrapped thick chains around an armoire and put a big lock on it. NO one would come back later as I had a security system and 2 large dogs (G Shep and pitbull). I would not have pointed out where "the good stuff" was if I had any worries about someone scouting for a later visit.
One of the things I was shocked to learn when I went through the Florida real estate licensee training was that a felon can get a real estate license. I am certain most customers and clients would also be shocked to learn this. I don't care what the politically correct point of view is and I don't care that people make mistakes in life. In this particular endeavor, I don't think felons should be allowed to have the kind of access we have to homes, personal property, or private/personal information. I have no idea how much of a problem this actually presents but I think it is a bad idea.
I'd guess it's fairly common. A neighbor of ours used to be an agent, until she lost her license for failing to disclose two theft convictions. Once she lost her license, she started a staging company and the people she hired had criminal backgrounds as well, one of whom was later charged with identity theft. Whether that was in conjunction with one of the staged homes, I cannot say. However it seems likely that giving private access to individuals with a predisposition towards theft may eventually lead to an irresistible opportunity.
Oddly, other agents still hire her to stage their homes. She's been in the business for decades, so it's likely they're aware of her background and hiring practices.
I'm not aware of it ever happening on any of my listings or with any of my buyers. I would say uncommon when you think about the hundreds of thousands of homes that are shown each year.
It happens rarely, and usually meds. I warn ally sellers and ask them to remove or put in a safe all valuables and meds,
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