Social media allows real estate agents to advertise at no cost and reach a large audience of potential clients; but they – along with sellers – must understand the risks if they post too much information online.
“For people posting information about selling their own houses, you never know who is going to contact you if you are listing a home ‘for sale by owner.’ Be wary of who you are letting in the house,” says Gusty Galas of Brik Realty in Birmingham, Alabama.
“We as Realtors go through safety training classes specifically for those reasons,” Galas says. “Someone just selling their house and posting on social media needs to be aware of the potential dangers.”
Even experienced property practitioners need to exercise caution. Galas says the murder of Arkansas agent Beverly Carter has prompted real estate professionals to be more cautious, and they have access to more safety training classes these days.
“You just never know who will be responding to a listing,” Galas says.