Cell Phone Lookup Can Help You Find a Conscientious Realtor

Have you heard about the real estate agent who used her position to rob the homes on the market? I am not surprised! For months now I've been warning people to thoroughly screen their realtors; it's always only a matter of time before I hear my predictions come true in the news. I am not gloating, mind you. I am hoping it serves as another lesson for everyone else.

52-year-old Phyliss Etzler-Tomaras would typically call the owner at work and pretend to represent an interested buyer who is standing on the front porch with her, waiting to see the house. Under those circumstances people are not likely to refuse permission for entry via the lock box. The homeowners who fell for the ruse would be looking for their missing jewelry later that night.

Eventually, the police received enough of these complaints to begin to see the pattern. All the incidents involved the same real estate agent. The evidence against Etzler was mounting. Real estate agents use a supra key box that records the exact time every time the key is used. Records indicate that often less than an our would pass between the time the realtor used her pass and the time the jewelry was sold at the local pawn shop, often sold as scrap for little money, according to the detectives. Turns out, the dirty agent was helping her husband to support a drug habit. He was in charge of selling the loot, and now he's been charged as well. So far, both have pled "not guilty" to the charges.

The moral of the story is summarized very nicely by the detectives. During the investigation, they were shocked by the "sloppy practice" of which most real estate agents are guilty. They don't even pretend to keep track of whom they bring to the house, often unable to even provide the viewer's name and phone number. So, if your house is for sale, there may be dozens of complete strangers passing through your home every day, and no one knows how to find them later.

Don't panic. The situation requires drastic action, and it's time for the cell phone lookup to liberate homeowners. People can and should be in control of who enters their home. Never let anyone pressure you into letting them in, unless you know their identity and contact information. If an agent calls and wants to show the house, calmly inquire as to the identity of the realtor and the client and ask if you can call them back within five minutes. If they are not open to that, refuse entry. You really don't want to deal with anyone refusing these reasonable requests.

Now get online and run a quick cell phone lookup on both the real estate agent and the client. This way, not only are you learning if you can trust the agent, you also can make an informed decision as to the desirability of the potential buyer. You can access all kinds of public records - court civil or criminal records, vital records, real estate records - to determine if you want these people in your home. All this and more, and it can easily be done within a couple of minutes. Now you can have peace of mind, remaining informed and in control every step of the way, thanks to having the cell phone lookup on your side.