In the last two years, the perils that Realtors and real estate agents face on an everyday basis have been brought into sharp focus under tragic and disturbing circumstances.
Entering into strange places with strange people places real estate professionals in harm’s way, and a new story from Athens, Georgia details a new concern that agents have to be aware of – the armed homeowner.
According to the Athens Banner-Herald, a 61-year-old man was summoned to a house he owned when the alarm was triggered.
Upon arriving at the house, the man spotted what he thought was a burglar, and held the would-be burglar at gunpoint until police arrived.
But the person who entered the house wasn’t a burglar; he was a real estate agent who was trying to show the house.
From the Athens Banner-Herald:
The man said he went to the house upon being notified of a burglar alarm activation there, and when arriving he saw unfamiliar vehicles and people in the driveway, according to police.
“Because of past break-ins, (the man) drew his Glock 23 pistol,” police said. “As it turned out, it was a real estate agent he had never met showing (the) house to a prospective buyer.”
Luckily, the situation was resolved without any further escalation or issue and all parties involved chose not to press charges.
