Look Who's Watching

Do you ever get the feeling that you're being watched? Your ears twitch, the air gets cold, the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, all accompanied by this strange feeling that you're not alone. Well, that's because you're probably not alone. Thanks to modern technology, there's a good chance someone somewhere is watching and recording you. No, not in a creepy way . . . at least I hope not.

We live in a world where cameras are everywhere. Go to just about any public place and you'll see them. They're in stores, restaurants, parking lots, schools, libraries, businesses, government facilities, and the list goes on. Fact is you'll have more difficulty finding a public place that doesn't have security cameras. We're all pretty much used to it anymore. It's at the point where we don't even notice they're there. But one thing I think a lot of agents don't realize is just how many homes have security systems with some kind of recording device.

Now, there is some debate on what is legal and what isn't when it comes to recording people in your home. There's definitely some gray between the black and white. I'm not a lawyer, so I'm not going to go into all that. But what I will tell you is that regardless of what is and what isn't legal, there is a good chance that when you're walking through a home, there is a camera watching you. So why am I telling you this?

Well, mainly I just want to make you more aware, particularly when you're showing a home . We should all be careful with how we conduct ourselves when walking through a property. This is true no matter what the circumstance is. We're professionals after all, and it's our duty to act as such when inside someone's home. But still, I'm sure many of us have had a listing when the seller got upset because of something that happened during a showing. Maybe a buyer broke something, said something inappropriate or maybe the buyer's agent didn't follow showing instructions properly. And I'm sure many of us have also been contacted by a listing agent because of something that happened during our showing. I once had a buyer I was showing a home to break a closet door handle only to have the listing agent contact me while we were still in the home to tell me that the sellers witnessed the buyer do it in real time.

But just as important as how we physically conduct ourselves, it is also what we say. It's a good idea, and frankly common sense, to not discuss offer details when showing a property. Sometimes buyers get excited when looking at a home they really like. And because of that, they will want to discuss potential offers before they have finished their showing. I would advise against that as you don't want to unintentionally let the seller in on the details of your offer. So a good rule of thumb when showing a property is to always assume you're being watched, even if a home is vacant. Because nowadays the walls actually can talk.

These things are important, but listing agents should also make sure they are properly informing the buyer's agent of on-site security. I think that's a given, but you'd be surprised just how many listings don't properly mention on-site security. Even if you include everything properly in the MLS, it is not a bad idea to remind the buyer's agent prior to their showing of on-site security . . . especially if there is an alarm code that needs armed and disarmed. That's another article entirely.

So next time you're touring a home with your clients and you get that strange, ominous, other-worldy feeling that you're being looked upon, stop . . . tilt your head up . . . and say "cheese"!

Facts, opinions and information expressed in the Blog represent the work of the author and are believed to be accurate, but are not guaranteed. The Lancaster County Association of Realtors is not liable for any potential errors, omissions or outdated information. If errors are noted within a post, please notify the Association. Posts represent the author's opinion and are not necessarily the opinion of the Association.