You know what I’m talking about right? You saw the Open House sign and wandered in. We chatted for a few minutes and then you set off to tour the the house. Though I wasn’t right on your tail I was watching you.
First you opened up the kitchen cabinets. Okay that makes sense as you need to see if there is enough space for your dishes. Then you opened the fridge and then the freezer. Guess you needed to size up whether the side by side had room for your frozen pizza.
You headed upstairs and made a beeline for the master bathroom. You looked under the sink, perhaps checking for any signs of a leak and then you opened up the medicine cabinet. This is when I started to get suspicious. But when you pulled opened the top dresser drawer you went over the line and I stepped in.
You stammered a bit about just trying to get an idea about space but guess what, the owner’s drawers aren’t relevant. If you had pulled out a tape measure to see if their dresser was the same size as yours that would be okay but looking through personal possessions are not. You said a few unkind words and headed for the door. That’s okay I know the difference between a serious buyer and someone who is just killing time.
I wonder when you go to a friend’s house do you wander around and look through their stuff? An Open House is not an invitation to snoop. Please remember that and show some respect for the owners.
Someone like that sounds like more than just a “nosy neighbor”. It sounds like they might have been casing the joint looking for valuables or something that could easily be slipped into their pocket.
The sad fact is that Open Houses are a huge draw for thieves, especially thieves working in pairs. One person chats up the Realtor while the other rummages through the medicine cabinet and dresser drawers.
Lots of people “kill time” at Open Houses or go on “if only I had the money” tours. More often than not an Open House is really not that advantageous to the Seller. Price, condition, location and massive exposure on the Internet. That’s the ticket.
So well said, Cindy… I have seen even real estate people do this at a Broker’s Open. We are a resort community and protocol is a bit different in a vacant but furnished rental home. There are no personal effects in drawers, just personal property at the Beach cottage to help guests enjoy their stay and make memories.
Of course we do have year round living and you comments are more than apropos!! If you hold and open house it is so easy, even if you are a scrip-tor [;)] it is best to Welcome with a few repectful thoughts to acknowledge the owner’s privacy!!
IMNSHO ~~ it is a Professional REALTOR’s Duty! #justsayin’
Bill Holt / On The Outer Banks, NC http://www.facebook.com/Outer.Banks.RE
hahaha. Cool story.
yes, it’s very important to show some respect for the owners.
ewww… ick… creepy, creepy.
Cool. Your blog looks great, and I’m glad i’ve found something here worth adding to my favorites.