SHARE

Stamford Board Discusses Realtor Safety At First Quarter Meeting

STAMFORD, Conn. -- The Stamford Board of Realtors held its first quarter meeting recently at the Italian Center in Stamford.

Left to right are Len Schwartz, President-Elect; Sgt; Sergeant Peter diSpagna and Investigator Mike Stempien of the Stamford Police Department at the Stamford Board of Realtors first quarter meeting.

Left to right are Len Schwartz, President-Elect; Sgt; Sergeant Peter diSpagna and Investigator Mike Stempien of the Stamford Police Department at the Stamford Board of Realtors first quarter meeting.

Photo Credit: Contributed
John Fedlman, Stamford Board of Realtors President, attended the meeting.

John Fedlman, Stamford Board of Realtors President, attended the meeting.

Photo Credit: Contributed
Tammy Felenstein and Thaddea Sheridan are past Board Presidents.

Tammy Felenstein and Thaddea Sheridan are past Board Presidents.

Photo Credit: Contributed
Jami Birnbaum and Carmela Dallas attended the meeting.

Jami Birnbaum and Carmela Dallas attended the meeting.

Photo Credit: Contributed
Stamford Board of Realtor members at the first quarter breakfast.

Stamford Board of Realtor members at the first quarter breakfast.

Photo Credit: Contributed
Stamford Board of Realtor members at the first quarter breakfast.

Stamford Board of Realtor members at the first quarter breakfast.

Photo Credit: Contributed
Stamford Board of Realtor members at the first quarter breakfast.

Stamford Board of Realtor members at the first quarter breakfast.

Photo Credit: Contributed
Stamford Board of Realtor members at the first quarter breakfast.

Stamford Board of Realtor members at the first quarter breakfast.

Photo Credit: Contributed
Stamford Board of Realtor members at the first quarter breakfast.

Stamford Board of Realtor members at the first quarter breakfast.

Photo Credit: Contributed
Stamford Board of Realtor members at the first quarter breakfast.

Stamford Board of Realtor members at the first quarter breakfast.

Photo Credit: Contributed
Stamford Board of Realtor members at the first quarter breakfast.

Stamford Board of Realtor members at the first quarter breakfast.

Photo Credit: Contributed
Stamford Board of Realtor members at the first quarter breakfast.

Stamford Board of Realtor members at the first quarter breakfast.

Photo Credit: Contributed
Stamford Board of Realtor members at the first quarter breakfast.

Stamford Board of Realtor members at the first quarter breakfast.

Photo Credit: Contributed
Stamford Board of Realtor members at the first quarter breakfast.

Stamford Board of Realtor members at the first quarter breakfast.

Photo Credit: Contributed
Stamford Board of Realtor members at the first quarter breakfast.

Stamford Board of Realtor members at the first quarter breakfast.

Photo Credit: Contributed
Stamford Board of Realtor members at the first quarter breakfast.

Stamford Board of Realtor members at the first quarter breakfast.

Photo Credit: Contributed

The Stamford Board of Realtors president, John Pellegrino, welcomed the group and thanked the morning’s sponsors, First County Bank and Bearingstar Insurance.

Mike Feldman, RPAC chair, also addressed the group and announced Realtor Day at the Capital will be on April 29. This is an annual event where local Realtors head to Hartford and meet with their legislators on topics of interest.

The featured speakers were Sgt. Peter diSpagna and Investigator Mike Stempien, who addressed the members of the Stamford Board of Realtors on physical safety when listing homes.

Realtor safety has become a topic of importance after the murders of several Realtors throughout the United States in recent years.

DiSpagna said Realtors should take steps to ensure their own safety as they are perfect targets working alone and often showing homes to complete strangers. “The Internet has provided access to listings on line and information to the bad guys,'' he said.

Homeowners and Realtors should take precautions when listing a home for sale.

  • Realtors should always tell someone in their office before going to a home alone.
  • Make sure the lockbox for the home is on when you arrive.
  • Do a physical inspection of the exterior of the house before entering the home to ensure that there has not been a forced entry and inspect the interior rooms before an Open House.
  • If possible, do an Open House with another Realtor.
  • If you have an appointment with a Realtor to show your listing, make sure you wait for the buyer’s Realtor to arrive before allowing a buyer you have not met into the home.

Stempien specializes in Cyber-crimes and said there have been several incidents in the Stamford area of criminal activity surrounding real estate transactions.

They have seen incidents in Stamford of urban miners digging for copper in homes for sale. Stempien advised Realtors to have the GPS enabled on their phones in the event there is strange activity and they need to call for help.

There have also been reports of people who double advertise a listing, by cloning listings found on some of the Real Estate portals such as Trulia, and placing them on Craigslist and offering them for sale.

Stempien also worked with a case involving a suspect who gained access to a buyer’s Gmail account with information on a real estate transaction. A caller posed as a seller and instructed the buyer to wire money to a strange account. The buyer wired money and sent $150,000, which was then sent to China.

Stempien advises buyers and sellers to ask their Realtor in advance what they can expect for the distribution of funds for the transaction to avoid, and set up a two-step verification. He also advises that email accounts have proper security with alerts to let you know when a stranger has accessed your computer.

to follow Daily Voice Stamford and receive free news updates.

SCROLL TO NEXT ARTICLE