If you’re preparing to put your home on the market, or you’re currently trying to sell, it’s important to keep your home and personal safety in mind! This is what Realty Times and NAR think agents should be telling their clients about safe showings:

— Strangers will be walking through your home during showings and open houses. Hide any valuables in a safe place. This includes items you might not initially think would attract interest, like prescription medications or alcohol, as well as information that could be used for identity theft.

— Not all agents, buyers and sellers are who they say they are. Strangers who stop by unannounced should be asked to make an appointment with the listing agent, and don’t allow them to enter your home without an appointment. Stress that you should never to show a home without the presence of an agent.

— You are responsible for your pets. If possible, animals should be removed during showings. If a buyer or an agent is attacked, you will be held liable.

— At an open house, your agent will be alert to the pattern of visitors’ arrivals, especially near the end of showing hours. In some areas, a group of thieves will show up together near the end of the open house and, while a string of “potential buyers” distracts the agent, the rest of the group walks through the house, stealing any valuables they come across.

— Your agent will make sure that all doors and windows are locked after any showings or open houses. Thieves commonly use open houses to scout for valuables and possible points of entry, then return after the agent leaves. Make sure your agent is doing this for you.

— Your agent will let you know that he/she will take all of the above safety precautions. But when you return home, you should immediately verify that all doors are locked and all valuables accounted for.

More Safety tips from Realtor.org.

More from AmyBSells.com:

• Open Houses: Helpful or Wasteful? — Open Houses are sometimes not worth the risk of inviting strangers into your home. It depends on the property!

(Source: Nevada County Association of REALTORS® (CA); Realty Times)

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• February 22, 2010 -- Winter Safety for your Home