Houses Have EARS!

Who cares?  You should.  One of the very first things I was told when I started in real estate was, ‘houses have ears’.  That was over a quarter century ago.  At the time I simply dismissed it to a psychological neurosis – paranoia.  However, as I gained experience, in the back of my own neurotic psyche I became acutely aware of that possibility.

On my first outing with a Client, along with the obvious -- always be respectful to the seller agent showing us the property, my basic training lecture about how to behave during a showing would emphasize, keep your comments to yourself until we are back in my car.  My car is the ‘safe zone’ where my Client can tell me exactly what they think about the property (etc.) they just previewed.

Today, more than ever, remote surveillance has become common fare. If you are a fan of the TV series, ‘Person of Interest’, you know what I am talking about.

I just read a really good article in REALTOR® Magazine that brings this subject to today’s real estate market climate.  The article referred to a YouTube video produced by a Washington REALTOR® Legal Hotline and featuring their attorney, Annie Fitzsimmons.  The message is still the same for Massachusetts and the take away for buyers is ‘what you say could be used against you in negotiations’.