I’m sure you have seen that perfect rental ad for a listing that sounds almost too good to be true. Some missionary needs to leave right away and is looking for you to take over his four bedroom house lease for $1000 a month. All he asks is that you wire him the deposit and you’ll get the key in the mail. Yeah right.
Well, guess what? Agents are getting similar replies to their listings in which supposed high rollers who are ready to buy without question (or a showing) but they happen to be abroad so could you please give them your bank account # so they wire you the money? Yeah right!
So what’s the verdict? Should agents and buyers avoid sites like Craigslist altogether? Probably not. As the online marketplace is only expanding and will probably be the preferred mode of transaction for the next generation and cutting off an avenue of free marketing / majorly discounted goods is probably not the best option. So, what are some of the ways you protect your business and your hard-earned money?
Here are some of my own common sense tips to safeguard from scammers:
- 1. Never blindly give our your personal information, even if you think giving our your email or phone number is harmless.
- 2. Listen to your gut. If you’re not sure, why not take a step back and get someone else’s opinion that you trust to help you made that decision?
- 3. If it sounds too good to be true, it is!
If you have any stories to share from the agent side of the buyer side, we’d love to hear about them! Please comment below.
Source: zoocasa.com