Watch video segment from DownbeachBUZZ Podcast from Dec. 12, 2025.
Sherri Lilienfeld of eXp Realty discusses fraud and safety, inspired by recent Real Estate conference in Atlantic City “Triple Play”.
Various scams target both realtors and their clients, emphasizing need for greater diligence and education.
OPEN HOUSES are a growing safety concern for agents and sellers.
Agents Should Never Do Open Houses By Themselves
Visitors should not be permitted to split up into more than one group. Should always be accompanied.
Best to remove personal items before open house: car keys, calendars, anything that shares personal info.
Risk: ‘buyer’ scouting property with ulterior motive, stealing, stalking, neighbor being extra nosy. What if somebody leaves behind a miniature recording device?
How to address un-represented, un-vetted visitor. Who pays if visitors break something? Discourage visitors from taking detailed pics of personal effects/personal areas? MLS pics should already suffice.
Importance of Vetting Buyers
- Suspicious Contacts: Emails from people who avoid talking on phone, insist on being reached through platforms like WhatsApp.
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) Threat: Scammers using AI to create realistic Zoom calls with fake person. Tough for agent to properly vet.
- Required Diligence: Agents must conduct buyer intake, explain what agency is, determine client goals and double-check proof of funds.
Wire Fraud
- One in 20 transactions get hit by wire fraud.
- Scammers hack into email belonging to realtor, title or mortgage company. Just before closing they send urgent email or text, impersonating one of the parties, demanding that client wire money immediately to fraudulent account.
- Once money is wired, it’s typically sent out of the country. Almost impossible to get it back.
Rental Scams
- Scammers take legitimate property listing for sale and re-list it elsewhere as rental property at significantly discounted price.
- They collect security deposit and first month’s rent from prospective tenant and then disappear.
- Tenant then shows up with U-Haul truck to house that was never for rent, creating stressful and desperate situation.
Property Fraud ( Theft of Title )
- Scammers record fake deed or lien against property, effectively stealing it at county level without owner’s knowledge.
- Theft only discovered when owner attempts to sell property.
- Atlantic County offers free service where owners register to be notified if anything changes against their property.
