Sellers: Watch Your Valuables At Open Houses!
I had a rather scary incident happen Wednesday at a house in Pointe Marin I was holding open, our new listing in Novato.
It’s a beautiful, high end home, $1,289,000, all the amenities. This was the first open house and there was quite a bit of traffic.
We always caution sellers to put away any valuables, especially prescription drugs, prior to listing a home. There is not a lot of theft in Marin County, but it does exist.
An agent came in and introduced himself as Dave Stephens, from Pacific Union in Novato. He said he was out of cards, and asked if it was ok to see the house. I said yes, as he looked normal, nicely dressed, and seemed like he knew what he was doing.
Two minutes later two other agents whom I know walked in, and as were saying hello, they both stopped, and whispered, “I think that’s the guy!” They quickly explained, quietly, that a guy fitting this description had just been discovered in another Pointe Marin home nearby, on his hands and knees, going through drawers in the master bedroom! When confronted by the agent, he asked if they had permits for the work they had done, and he left immediately.
We casually followed him around, and started firing questions at him. He was very smooth, had an answer for everything. “I know all the agents, are you new,?” we asked.
“Yes, I just started two weeks ago.”
“Who is your manager?”
“I’m working at home right now, and still don’t have cards. Can I bring a client by here on Sunday?”
He started heading out the door. One guy followed him out, got a license plate number and description, and called Novato police.
He came running back in two minutes later. “They know him. There’s several warrants out for his arrest,” he said.
I called it into to the Marin Association of Realtors. That night, the CEO issued a warning about the guy, with instructions not to confront him, let him go, and immediately call police if he shows up at an open house.
I also called my client immediately and told him what had happened. He checked his home that night, and could not find anything missing.
According to the Marin Association of Realtors, the most frequently stolen item from open houses is prescription drugs. Be careful - try as we might, we can’t watch every single person and what they do while they’re in you’re home.
