Why?
Because real estate professionals meet strangers in empty buildings and vacant homes. Usually the real estate agent is alone. Many times they haven't told anyone where they're going, who they're meeting or when to expect them back.
Simply put, it can be a great opportunity for criminals. And the bad guys know it.
http://www.yakimaherald.com/news/yhr/wednesday/1181701-8/two-arrested-in-assault-of-yakima-real-estate
The story linked above is a perfect illustration. I encourage people to read the entire story, but for the sake of this post, I will cut and paste certain aspects and add my commentary in red.
From the Yakima Herald:
A man and woman accused of trying to kill Yakima
real estate broker Vernon Holbrook while posing as prospective
homebuyers were ordered held Tuesday on $750,000 bail while
investigators seek a motive.
Luis Gomez-Monges, 38, and Adriana Mendez, 23, were
arrested Monday by Yakima County sheriff’s detectives, two days after
Holbrook, 78, was found in a pool of blood at a home in the Cowiche
area. He had been severely beaten and his throat was cut.
This is a horrific violent crime / attempted murder committed against a 78-year-old real estate agent.
According to arrest affidavits, Mendez told detectives she and Gomez
lured Holbrook to a vacant home by posing as prospective buyers and had
asked for him specifically after calling his agency, Aspen Real Estate,
earlier in the week.
Key words: "lured Holbrook to a vacant home by posing as prospective buyers and asked for him specifically." These criminals targeted Holbrook and selected the crime scene because it was vacant. They knew exactly what they were doing and why.
This next section is not intended to blame a victim for crimes committed against him / her. But, personal safety is everyone's responsibility and this is a teachable example:
I envision a call coming to Holbrook's real estate agency during which the caller specifically requests Holbrook. When he gets on the phone with the client, does Holbrook ask why he was requested? Who referred the client to him? Was it a past client? Where did they hear of Holbrook? Did they see an advertisement, have they spoken in the past? Does the entire story make sense? This is not a point of paranoia, but rather a question of safety. It's also a matter of marketing. If Holbrook is advertising, wouldn't he like to know which of those ads are working?
As I mention above, this is also an issue of a congruent story. Later in the story we will learn the "clients" claimed to be relocating from Texas. So......would it send someone red flags to consider that an out-of-towner is specifically requesting them? We must be careful not to be so eager to make a sale that we don't consider why someone requests us. If the story doesn't add up.......think twice about meeting the client.
After initially denying involvement, Mendez told
deputies that she and Gomez lured Holbrook to a vacant home by posing as
prospective homebuyers from Texas staying at the Oxford Inn Suites,
none of which was true, according to court records.
I can't say how thoroughly Holbrook researched his "clients" before meeting them. And again, this is not intended to blame the victim. But, a mortgage pre-approval screening conducted by a thorough mortgage lender, along with a credit report check, would have confirmed this couple was not from Texas and lying about their circumstances. This could have given Holbrook cause for pause.
Also, the story states they lured Holbrook to a vacant home.....so he met them there. Had he picked them up from their hotel, or had them meet at his office, it might have inhibited their plans since Holbrook's colleagues would have been able to identify them.
Deputies said Mendez told them she saw Gomez punch Holbrook in the head before she left the bedroom where the attack took place. She then waited in a car outside with the couple’s three children.
Children. They brought children to an attack in which Gomez slit the unconscious victim's throat. They likely used the children as cover to help maintain the facade that this is a family relocating from Texas.
According to the affidavit: “Adriana said that
Vernon had been very respectful to both her and Luis prior to Luis
assaulting him. She said no angry words had been spoken, and there did
not appear to be any provocation.”
So this was a purely premeditated attack. The criminals set this man up: selected him specifically, concocted a cover story, and chose a crime scene they knew to be vacant. These people did their home work. And that's something to remember about criminals.......they go to work, they plan and they execute.
In addition to the assault case, Gomez is also being held without bail on an immigration detainer.
Again, a credit report would likely have indicated this man had legal or immigration problems. It also might have suggested that he was not credit worthy to purchase a home. If Holbrook had learned of this in advance, he might not have even agreed to meet the prospective buyer.
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This is a terrible story and I feel for Mr. Holbrook, his family, friends and colleagues. If anything good can come from this terrible tragedy, it is education so that others don't share a similar fate. There are some simple steps a real estate agent can take to avoid this sort of attack--or at least make it more difficult for the attacker.
1. Be a little suspicious of strangers. When someone calls out of the blue and asks for you, ask why. Real estate professionals meet people for a living. They inherently must be optimistic that the people they meet want to do business with them and pay them a commission. This optimism must be balanced with a healthy dose of suspicion. The key word is balance. Ask questions....."How did you find me?" "Who referred you to me?" And listen for answers. If they don't match (i.e. you don't have a friend named Susie who could have referred this client), be on guard.
2. Before you meet any potential home buyer, get them pre-approved by a mortgage lender you trust. Discuss the entire story with your mortgage partner. This will not only uncover certain aspects of their past, it will also save you time if the buyer isn't credit worthy to purchase a property.
3. Meet clients in your office. This extra step allows you to introduce them around to your colleagues and puts would-be criminals on notice that people have seen them and know they are out with you. They may be less inclined to commit crimes if an office full of people can identify them.
4. Tell people where you're going and when to expect you back.
5. Trust your instincts. If something doesn't sound right, if a story doesn't add up, if the hair on the back of your neck stands up......trust your gut and get out.
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There is much more to discuss on this topic......We will cover more in the next post. Until then......
Stay Safe
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