You may have read on social media that a man who claims to be from Massachusetts has been harassing REALTORS® and at least two sellers with odd behavior including:
- Pressuring two different homeowners – both women - to show him their homes an hour after an evening open house ended, claiming that he had gotten stuck in traffic from Boston.
- Using different names each time he contacts a REALTOR®.
- Concealing all of the names on financial statements that he has provided to establish proof of funds when making repeated cash offers.
- Threatening to report REALTORS® to the Department of Business Regulation when they ask him to provide clean financial statements.
- Texting rants repeatedly after midnight and at other odd times.
- Focusing mainly on REALTORS® who are women.
Unfortunately, due to the nature of the real estate profession, REALTORS® will sometimes encounter members of the public are strange or even dangerous. Here are some tips to protect yourself:
- Ask for identification when meeting a potential client or customer for the first time.
- Let someone else from your office and/or your family know where you are.
- Block a phone number from anyone who harasses you.
- Contact the police if your client or you feels unsafe.
- Pair up with another REALTOR® to cover open houses.
- Discuss safety issues with seller clients.
- Review your office’s safety procedures.
- Read more safety tips and resources on the National Association of REALTORS® web site:
For more information, please contact the RIAR Legal Department at 401-432-6945 or email [email protected].