How to Stay Safe!? HELP ALMOST ROBBED..

Question

Hey guys I have been a full time wholesaler for the last year, my question is how do I stay safe? I had a couple "buyers" want to meet me at a house must be on my email blast, and I Showed up two young guys definitely was going to get mugged, what do you guys do to prevent me from being robbed and what are these guys looking for I am really nervous right now especially since I don't know the email...

Will Barnard · Answer

Aside from what Joel stated, why would you even consider meeting anyone at any property from your buyers list that you have yet to qualify as a real buyer with real funds, etc.?
You should go through your entire buyers list and qualify each, asking each what their criteria is and their availability of funds. Don't keep buyers on your list that are not qualified.

Joel Owens · Answer

John I do commercial real estate. I heavily qualify any potential buyers and clients that I have a relationship with.

Talk is cheap and the proof is in their documentation. I have heard some really crazy stories before. Timing in closing a deal is everything and when a buyers funds are not liquid it can kill a deal.

I am not a proponent of quantity but quality of my database. I would rather create a short list of lifelong clients where I know exactly what they want and do business over and over again through the years and decades then one off deals all the time.

When you run a business 80% of revenue is repeat customers. That number tells you that quality over quantity works and that it is much more time consuming and expensive to do one deal, lose a customer, and then pick up another new customer again.

A qualified database of say 100 buyers with  a bunch of money who can buy over and over again I will take any day over  2,000 contacts and 80% are junk and can't hardly do anything. You do not need the world to make a very, very  good living with your business. Have your buyers fill out an intake form.

Joel Owens · Answer

Hi John,

NO AMOUNT of possible financial gain is worth putting yourself in harms way.

Tell them before meeting at the property you have to meet at a public place at a copy business where you can copy down their drivers license and other information. Also they need to provide you with proof of funds from their bank account or an HML lender.

If they are a real buyer they will oblige for safety reasons and just tell them it's your companies policy. Also when you go to the location make sure your vehicle is at the street and not blocked in. Take a friend with you so you have (strength in numbers). Let them go in first and leave first so you always have your eyes on them and they are not behind you.

You can also carry various weapons but really the tips outlined above should scare the thugs off.

Account Closed · Answer

How to stay safe as an investor...

I have found the best way to stay safe, protect the property and save a lot of time and effort is to add a lock box to the side of the house on a meter.

I market the property and when someone wants to view the home I have them take a picture of their license with their cell phone and text it to my Google Phone Number (I never use my cell phone number in advertising to buyers), once I have received their license I send them the address and lock box code to view the home.

I have never had a problem with something being stolen because I have their personal information and license, many other agents will tell you not to let people view a home unattended but if the home is vacant why not, when most agents meet a potential tenant at the home they don't get a copy of their license so they don't know if the person was just meeting them their to scope out the home. Also I don't give the address or the lock box to code to anyone without a copy of their license, some agents have gotten angry but I don't know them and not all agents are honest but if I get their license they will think twice before being dishonest.

Using a lock box with a code and getting a drivers license keeps me, those on my team and the owner safe, the person looking at the home honest and it saves me driving time to meet people at the home.

Stay safe and prosper...

Marv Rousselow

John Newland · Answer

Just curious why you thought they were going to mug you?  Was this property in a rough area?  What did you do when you showed up and saw them?

Aaron Matassa · Answer

I 2nd public place. That will probably take care of of anyone wishing to do harm. I've done quite a bit on Craigslist (not realestate) and thats what I have always done.

Bill Gulley · Answer

I was sure Rob was going to suggest you keep your street sweeper in the subject property hidden away, just in case....but he didn't, LOL.

Only pre-qualified people should ever get in your vehicle or go on your property.

Many of the Realtors here carry a tazer thingy, those two pronged zappers, problem is, if you don't know how to use it, it may be used on you, like any weapon. :)

Rob K. · Answer

Since the OP is in Connecticut, the only "weapon" he could legally carry would probably be a nail file.

I agree with with the other posters about staying safe. I would suggest taking some type of self defense class and learning how to protect yourself. I would think this would be a very rare occurance, but you can never be too safe. A certain percentage of the population is crazy. When you're in a business that deals with the public, you're eventually going to come into contact with crazy. It's a shame, but it's the way it is.

Account Closed · Answer

I am just nervous now that someone is on me becuase I had a house broken into before and money stolen was a probate property and when you do bandit signs and people ask to be on your list I always just grab as many emails as possible.. and yes never thought of all that... I guess I am just being stupid and not running this like a legit business.

Account Closed · Answer

hmm.. ok so maybe I should stop just adding a bunch of buyers I have 1800 on my list and doing mass emails, and only work for the serious ones? Issue is sometimes you get deals done by selling those off and can make money on new investors etc..

How to Stay Safe!? HELP ALMOST ROBBED..

Most Popular Reply