Phones are absolutely essential in real estate. But they, along with email addresses, can be compromised. My home telephone number was recently transferred without our authority. Our alarm system was set off as a result. And of course these things happen when they can result in the most chaos! So now I get to waste another couple of days changing my phone number on all of my licensing records, web sites, etc. (This really peeves me since we’ve had that number–a “beachside” number for over 13 years.)
There is literally almost no way to ever fix these things now with the widespread use of AI to filter communications. This type of occurrence does not fit into the standard things AI is trained to filter for if you call for assistance. One good thing is that the AI actually transferred me to a human being!
The moral of this story is that YOU have to be sure at all times that you are communicating with the actual real estate broker you think you are communicating with. Emails can be impersonated to steal escrow funds, etc. So be careful out there.
I’ve been a licensee for more than 42 years. I thought I had seen all the ways things could be compromised, but this has certainly enlightened me a little more.
If a broker is asking you lots of questions if you call to list vacant land or a second/vacation home, they’re doing it to verify your authority to list a property. If you are the rightful owner, this is a safeguard to protect your interests. So please do not be offended. Many title companies are seeing an increase in fraudulent impersonation of owners.
I also recommend that even if working with a seller or buyer directly that you always use a title agent!
