When responding to real estate ads or social media posts from agents, follow these steps to ensure your safety:
- Verify the Agent: Call the brokerage and ask to have the agent paged to call you back. This ensures they are a legitimate real estate agent.
- Ask for Identification: When meeting in person, always ask for the realtor’s identification.
- Safety in Numbers: If attending property showings, never go alone. Always take someone with you.
Other Safety Measures
- No Cash Transactions: Never exchange cash. No legitimate real estate agent or brokerage will ask for or accept cash payments.
- Protect Your Information: Do not provide confidential information that could be used to steal your identity.
- See the Property First: Never rent a property without seeing it in person first.
- Meet the Landlord: Make an appointment to meet with the landlord in person.
- Talk to Neighbors: If possible, speak with neighbors to get insights into the property and its surroundings.
- Check with Management: Speak with the condo management or concierge to verify details about the property.
- Current Tenants: If possible, talk to the current tenants. Be cautious if the current tenant is showing reluctance or seems overly eager to leave.
- Conduct Research: Always do basic research on the property and the landlord.
- Beware of Low Rent: Be cautious of rent rates that seem too good to be true.
- Avoid High-Pressure Tactics: Be wary of any high-pressure sales tactics, such as urgency to place a deposit immediately.
Taking these precautions helps protect you from potential scams and ensures a safer rental process. If you are not currently working with a realtor, we are happy to represent you. Our team has the experience and expertise to guide you through the rental process safely and effectively.