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Question of the DaySafety

People in house while making a tour9848

WGAN Standard
Member
Saugatuck, Michigan
fotoguy private msg quote post Address this user
We had a new and problematic issue while making a tour last week. The real estate agent hired us for a MP tour and drone shots. The realtor let us in and left. The owner was not at home. My partner was upstairs doing scans. He heard voices downstairs but figured it was the owners coming home or the realtor coming back. He was just finishing up and went downstairs. It was a couple and he asked them if he could help them. They said they were there to look at the house and "so and so" told them it was open and to feel free to walk around. He assumed "so and so" was the owners since we hadn't met them. By this time they had walked through the downstairs area and were headed outside to the backyard.

He immediately tried to call the realtor and it went to voicemail. He texted her what had transpired. She said she would be right over. The couple had left the property before she got there.

That night the couple went to the owner of the house and gave them an offer and the owner accepted. Unbeknownst to us, the realtor had not signed the contract with the owner. It was due to be signed the following morning.

Question is what could've we done differently if anything? My partner could have asked them to leave immediately but they had already seen the house and seem to have a plausible reason for being there anyway.

I was surprised the realtor had hired us to do the work without having a signed agreement. I had done the drone shots had finished the MP tour and MLS photos by the time we heard what had happened. I did go ahead and bill the realtor as I felt we did what we were hired to do.

Should we lock houses while scanning? Should we ask the realtor if they have a signed agreement in place with the homeowner? This may never happen again but the realtor said she has seen it happen before as the house was on Lake Michigan and people are known to go in and make owners offers before houses go up for sale. My feeling is if she knew this type of thing happens, why didn't she warn us ahead of time?

Sorry, long post.

Thoughts?
Post 1 IP   flag post
WGAN Forum
Founder &
WGAN-TV Podcast
Host
Atlanta, Georgia
DanSmigrod private msg quote post Address this user
@fotoguy

Yikes!

Best practice: If left alone, lock the door.

Only open the door if it is your client or homeowner.

Dan

WGAN Forum discussion:

Question of the Day: Any concerns for your safety on a Matterport shoot?
Post 2 IP   flag post
WGAN
Basic
Member
Seattle
kjoman private msg quote post Address this user
I agree - I always lock the door. I had an experience a year ago where I had a shoot in a residential neighborhood where a woman, halfway up the block, had been violently murdered that morning. SWAT, news reporters were all over the place and the perpetrator hadn't been caught. I didn't know the whole story at the time but needless to say, I was freaked out. Broker wasn't there, I was alone.
Post 3 IP   flag post
WGAN
Premium
Member
Lahaina, Hawaii
Skeeter private msg quote post Address this user
I agree with Dan. I'm also a Realtor and would have asked them to leave but give them my card.
Post 4 IP   flag post
WGAN Fan
Club Member
Queensland, Australia
Wingman private msg quote post Address this user
Honestly I would either explain the situation and ask them to leave or contact a realtor straight away and ask the realtor to come and walk through with a potential buyer. Or the realtor could at least talk with a buyer over a phone and figure something out.

Closing a door may be a good idea but it does not mean somebody cannot walk around a house and still do something bad. Also they can steal something from a house and since you have been left to do a job alone you can be held responsible. Plus you may need to scan outdoors so the closed door is not really an option.
Post 5 IP   flag post
WGAN Standard
Member
Saugatuck, Michigan
fotoguy private msg quote post Address this user
You do have to remember my partner was upstairs and they were downstairs. They had already looked around downstairs when he heard voices when he went down to see who was in the house. He immediately called the realtor. I guess what I still don't understand is why the realtor hired us to shoot the tour without having the paperwork signed by the owner. Even without people coming in the house, the owners could've backed out and not signed the paperwork the next day. It will probably never happen again but it was a good lesson.
Post 6 IP   flag post
WGAN Forum
Founder &
WGAN-TV Podcast
Host
Atlanta, Georgia
DanSmigrod private msg quote post Address this user
@fotoguy

Perhaps your client was using the Matterport 3D Tour as a closing tool.

Regardless, lock the door when you/your partner are scanning.

Dan
Post 7 IP   flag post
WGAN Forum
Founder &
WGAN-TV Podcast
Host
Atlanta, Georgia
DanSmigrod private msg quote post Address this user
Hi All,

Inman (5 August 2019) Agent shoots at man who tried to rob her with knife at open house

Dan

Save $20 on Inman Subscription
Post 8 IP   flag post
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