On June 12, 2023, a real estate agent heading to the Broker’s Open House in Oakland was accosted by two armed men as he approached the house. The men demanded the agent’s possessions and the agent refused and was struck on the forehead with the gun. The agent quickly ran inside the house and locked the door and the men fled without obtaining any of his possessions. The agent believes that the men were waiting for an opportune moment to rob someone who was vulnerable, and no other people were around. The Seller indicates that this type of event has never occurred at the Property and does not believe that the perpetrators targeted the Property but rather, they targeted the agent who was by himself.
BE DILIGENT! This is not an isolated incident.
As a REALTOR®, it’s important you have a personal safety protocol in place that you use every day with every client, like when meeting new clients, showing properties or sharing information online.
Always meet new clients at the office or in a neutral location, like a coffee shop
Share your schedule with a colleague, assistant, or family member
Communicate safety concerns on your listing (poor cell phone signal, etc.)
Do not overshare about your personal life
Do not host open houses alone
Check your cell phone battery and signal before heading to an appointment
Direct clients to walk in front of you when touring a property, do not lead them
Never go into attics, crawl spaces, or garages where you could be trapped