For those who are about to start the house hunting process, it will be helpful to have a copy of your ID on hand when you arrange a viewing appointment. It might be unclear why an estate agent would need to see your proof of identification before you can go and view a property, but this procedure is fast becoming standard practice to guard against potential criminal activity.
Following several attacks on real estate agents while they were showing their listings to clients, the criteria to view a home has become much stricter. You should not be alarmed if your real estate agent asks for a copy of your ID before agreeing to meet with you. This is purely a safety measure to screen clients and to confirm that you are who you say you are.
To protect both the real estate agent and the seller, many real estate professionals will also carry a panic button on their person in case they encounter a threating situation while showing the property to buyers. This button will alert a security response team to come to their immediate assistance.
It is important that the public knows about this in order to change the perception that real estate agents are potentially easy targets for opportunistic criminals. These screening and security precautions are there to ensure the safety of everyone involved in the buying and selling process and will make it much more difficult for criminals to enact their plans. Rather than fight an estate agent when they request a copy of your ID, see this as a sign that this real estate agent is a professional who views the safety of their clients as a priority.
Are you about to start the process of buying or selling your home? Get in touch with an agent from your nearest RE/MAX office today.
