Stranger danger?
December 16, 2008 5:03 PM   Subscribe

I'm selling my apartment FSBO. There may be times I'm unable to have anyone with me while showing it to buyers. What should I do to ensure my safety?

Yeah, it is NYC, so there are others around, but I think I should do a bit of due diligence.

I plan to keep my cell phone on me at all times and regularly text a dedicated person to let them know I'm ok and if they don't hear from me they need to panic, but I'm guessing there are others out there who know more than I do, so, thoughts please?
posted by cestmoi15 to Home & Garden (7 answers total) 3 users marked this as a favorite
 
Your safety is very very important. I would suggest being sure to only schedule your showings at times when you can have someone with you.

I know this is a crappy market, but it's not worth the potential worst case scenario.
posted by bilabial at 5:08 PM on December 16, 2008


Yeah, bilabial is right.

When realtors show property this is one reason they want to meet clients in the office first-to kinda "vet" them. Also here locally we had one female realtor shot and wounded by a client who she was showing to alone....she survived but of course it underscores the fact that, well, safety first.

Schedule at YOUR convenience, when you have someone with you.
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 6:00 PM on December 16, 2008


Best answer: I've lived alone in some weird situations, and have sold many things to many shady people alone. It's all about pretending someone is close by. Case in point: when I'd leave the house alone, I'd wave and yell "bye!" as if someone were in there.

As a BS tactic for you, I'd be on the phone when they arrive and say something like,

"Okay Dave, you're on your way? I'm just going to do this showing, and I'll see you very soon!"

Really be on a call with someone who knows that you're going to do a showing, and ask them to call you in 10 minutes if you don't call them first. If you don't call in 15, they call the police.

It's too important for the sale of your place for it not to be as available as possible. Use this BS I have suggested.
posted by No New Diamonds Please at 6:08 PM on December 16, 2008 [1 favorite]


Best answer: Daylight hours only.

Find some way to check they they are who they say. Copy of driving license or at least name/address/phone number.

Let it be known that others know the buyer's details and about the appointment.

Mace. Taser.

Always follow the buyer - not lead them - room to room.

If really unsure of the other party when they show up, don't even go in with them - take a 'call' on you mobile when they arrive and just let them poke around. Do the chatting out in the corridor.

Arrange two buyers at the same time. Keep them together.
posted by Xhris at 6:15 PM on December 16, 2008


Response by poster: Thanks all. I am screening people and googling them, and taking extra precautions, I just want input from those who have handled this before to make sure I'm not missing anything.
posted by cestmoi15 at 6:25 PM on December 16, 2008


Get a copy of their photo ID, and send it to a person/place to which they don't have access. You could meet them at Kinko's, then fax a copy of their license to your home office, or meet them in a public place and send a phone cam pic to some trusted third party.
posted by paulg at 8:41 AM on December 17, 2008


See, I'm just not under the impression that someone who wants to rob you is going to wait a whole ten minutes to do it. Once you've been pistol whipped and had your wallet emptied, the arrival of the cops isn't going to make you feel any better, (or any less dead if they shoot you).

And if I were planning to harm the seller of a home, I sure as hell wouldn't give my real name! And I'd probably have stolen a wallet already that had a photo id I could copy and send to you.

I'm not a criminal, so maybe my fears are completely off the mark.

But I have been a victim of violent crime, and I'd give a lot to trade in those hours.
posted by bilabial at 6:17 AM on December 18, 2008


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