Broker John Veneziano emphasizes something when interviewing FSBOs that most brokers shy away from - that homeowners' personal safety is more important than what they can save on commissions. And he wonders why more agents don't tell prospects that.

With characteristic New England style (confrontation softened by a caring undertone, as defined by this Texan) he'll say to a FSBO seller, "Are you crazy?"

You may laugh, but it works, he says.

"What is your family worth?" Veneziano will say, "Do you realize that you are going to let strangers into your house? Would you let a gas guy in without an appointment? Would you let a cable guy in? What about the 20 people who are going to ask you to let them in to see your home?"

"You put your home in the paper and you get a call - 'I'd like to see your house tomorrow at 2:00.' 'No, can't do it then,' you say, 'my wife and I will be at work.' 'Fine, then how about 6:00? 'That will work,' you say,'" baits Veneziano, "then at 2:00 the next day, your house gets broken into."

Or how about this one? 'I live in a bad neighborhood, that's why we want to move. Is your neighborhood safe?' asks the buyer. You say, 'oh, of course it's safe. It's so safe nobody around here even has an alarm system.' And then the nut shows up and puts you and your whole family in the closet while he steals everything in your house."

"Or a nice-looking stranger wants to see your house. You let him in. Now nobody buys on the first showing so when the stranger asks 'May I take some pictures?" you think he's interested in the house. Instead he is photographing your motion detector and security pad."

Then, nonchalantly, Veneziano, moves in for the kill. "These are just the tricks of the ones who want to rob you, and I won't even go into the ones who want to hurt your wife or children or you. When I don't come home from a showing, my wife knows to call the police. Who knows that you've been showing your house to strangers? Who will call the police for you?"

"I didn't think of that," says the stunned FSBO seller.

"Your home is your last refuge," hammers Veneziano, "When you work with a Realtor, they bring you real buyers, buyers who have been qualified and are ready to buy. It takes me 60 days to sell a house and that is with the help of 300 other agents and their 1500 buyers. I have more access to buyers than you do."

Softening, he says, "I know you want to save money on commissions, but I can get you more money for your home than you can, because I'm not emotionally attached to the house and my marketing time is still 60 days. We'll qualify the buyers for you, and even then seventy percent can't buy your house unless they sell something first. Did you know that? Then another 11 percent can't afford it, and 15 percent decide to keep renting, and that leaves you with four percent that are ready willing and able to buy your house. So if I can do all that and get you your highest price, why would you do it yourself?"

"What if I just try it," hedges the FSBO. "I'll put an ad in the paper, and then if nothing happens, I'll call you."

"Sure it looks easy to put an ad in the paper," allows Veneziano, "but if you look at the advertising, there are 100 ads for this area, and 97 percent are with brokers, three percent are with FSBOs. Which would you shop first if you were a serious buyer? The buyers who call you are only shopping FSBOs to save commissions. They think they are getting the fee - the same fee you think you're saving. So they will beat you up on the price. And you may not be able to save much on commissions anyway, because we (Realtors) bring the buyers. So you might as well let us get you what you want for the house and be safe while you are getting it, and you don't have to worry about strangers coming into your house with your wife and kids."

According to Veneziano, safety as a concern works with FSBO sellers because it never occurs to them that anyone would want to do them harm. But it also works because his fervor is genuine.

Safety isn't just a scare tactic to get listings, he says. Veneziano is on a mission. Over the years, he has lost three colleagues who were brutalized or murdered by "buyers." One was raped and strangled, her nude body found off a roadway. Another was shot in the back of the head so that the "buyer" could steal his car. A third left the industry after surviving rape and having her throat cut while showing a vacant home.

"We train our agents to be safe, and even they get hurt or killed sometimes by strangers," says Veneziano. "The only security you have left is your house. That's why it is easy for me to tell anyone, 'Don't let people you don't know come in your house.'"

Published: March 28, 2003

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Blanche Evans is the award-winning senior editor of Realty Times, the Internet's leading independent real estate news service. She is featured daily on the Realty Times Video Network in the "Realty Viewpoint" segment. Blanche has been named one of the "25 Most Influential People In Real Estate" by REALTOR Magazine, and has been twice recognized as a "notable." In 2005, she was named "Top Reporter Covering the NAR" by Delahaye-Bacon's. Blanche is a renowned author of five real estate books. Her newest, Bubbles, Booms and Busts: Make Money In Any Real Estate Market, McGraw-Hill, was rave-reviewed by The New York Times. She was also selected from hundreds of real estate experts to contribute to Donald Trump's book, Trump: The Best Real Estate Advice I Ever Received: 100 Top Experts Share Their Strategies, Rutledge Hill Press, and is featured on page 68. Order Now Review - Honors In 2006, Blanche was selected among scores of candidates to author two consumer real estate guidebooks for the National Association of Realtors: The NAR Guide to Home Buying, and The NAR Guide to Home Selling, Wiley & Sons. She is currently planning two new books for the NAR and its members.       Known for her keen insight into real estate industry issues and for her ability to make complex subjects easy to understand, Blanche is a sought-after keynote and continuing education speaker. Real estate organizations from MLSs, to brokerages, to franchisors, to associations hire her to provide up-to-the-minute analysis of real estate industry news and advice on how to improve revenues. Her passionate delivery, peppered with stinging wit, is a huge hit with audiences and fans. Don Klein, CEO Greater Nashville Association of Realtors, Blanche Evans, Richard Courtney, president 2007, GRAR "The GNAR membership meeting last week featured Blanche Evans as the keynote speaker. Her comments and insights resonated extremely well with those in attendance and we have had many requests for copies of her PowerPoint Presentation. She was a terrific part of the membership meeting and convention program!" - Don Klein, CEO Greater Nashville Association of Realtors Coverage from WSMV, Nashville - 8-14-2007 That Interview Guy - Get Inside The Head Of Today's Generation 2007 AE Institute Session - To purchase 2006 AE Institute Session - Parts 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 HouseValues Mastermind call - Parts 1 2 Blanche's fireside chat with Jeremy Conaway, HAR - Click here. To contact Blanche, email her at . For more articles by Blanche, click here.