Home Sellers Guide

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Make it a Safe Sale

Do you really know who's coming to look at your house?

Unfortunately, chances are, you don't. Nationally, there have been many incidents ranging from minor theft to tragic violence and even murder. It is critical that you obtain as much information as possible before allowing a stranger into your home. The LONG ISLAND BOARD OF REALTORS® periodically conducts Realtor® safety seminars and publishes articles in its trade publication to give Realtors® tips on safety. The following excerpts from their seminars can be useful to Realtors® and sellers:

Get information and verify it.

Before allowing someone to come into your home, get their full name, address, and phone number. Tell them you'll need to call back to verify the time they'd like to come. Then call back the number, make sure they are there, and have them re-state their name and address, and make sure it matches the original information before giving out yours. When they arrive, jot down their car's make, model, color, and plate number if you can.

Does it sound like a real buyer?

If the buyer is overly anxious to come over before getting any of the facts, that should make you suspicious. Most buyers want to know everything they can before getting into their car and driving over. If a buyer is reluctant to answer your questions or doesn't ask the typical questions, get their information and call them back. If you think something is not right, it probably isn't. Trust your intuition. Don't give out your full address until you feel secure and have verified the buyer's identity.

Safety Tips:
	Have a Buddy - Never show the home alone. Ask a friend or neighbor to stick around.
	Leave a window open - In event of an emergency, someone can hear you scream.
	Put jewelry/valuables away and out of sight and don't wear flashy jewelry.
	Let buyers walk ahead. Don't be cut off from an exit in your home.
	Appearance means nothing - obviously you wouldn't let someone who "looks sinister" into your home.
	Fake security signs really help.
	In the event of an attack your best bet is to run.
	If trapped scream "FIRE" and throw something through a window.

Don't tell all.

Especially on the phone, don't reveal your availability for showing by stating whether you will or won't be home. Just say whether the time is convenient or inconvenient. Don't explain the details of your home's security, and never tell anyone the code, or worse that the system is not working. You can reveal this when the buyer is in the process of negotiating a sale. Never have children answer any calls or questions about your home to anyone. Have them hand the phone to an adult who can screen the call.

Don't be so anxious to sell that you neglect to follow safety precautions.

In the end, everything in the house can be replaced, except you. Always use safety precautions. The sale of a home can be a perfect opportunity for a complete stranger to come into your home and find out anything they want to know about you, and your possessions. Don't be too anxious to make the sale that you forget to protect your home and family. Using a real estate professional can help eliminate much of the risk.

In the end, everything in the house can be replaced, except you. Always use safety precautions. The sale of a home can be a perfect opportunity for a complete stranger to come into your home and find out anything they want to know about you, and your possessions. Don't be too anxious to make the sale that you forget to protect your home and family. Using a real estate professional can help eliminate much of the risk.

Reprinted from "How to Sell it Fast & Get the Right Price", by Laurie J. Bloom
(c) 1998, Multiple Listing Service of Long Island, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
For your free copy, contact your local MLS office.