I routinely "google" rental applicants. Very telling and when they find out, they are totally in shock that I just did not do a credit check.
You only know about your prospect what your prospect tells you, until you Google them. And sometimes you will be shocked at what you learn about them. Have you ever been alone with a prospect who is wanted on murder charges in another state? I have, but I didn't know it until I did a Google search. You can't tell without checking.
Safety concerns are critically important in the real estate business, both for professionals and clients, but safety isn't the only compelling reason to Google your prospects. Sometimes you find out that the reason they want to sell isn't the reason they gave you, or the saleability of the property isn't what they say, as was the case when I uncovered a pile of litigation from a Google search I did before doing a market analysis, which I then decided to decline doing.
We have at our fingertips all sorts of structured tools to find various pieces of information that we naturally think of when we do research on people and properties. However, the unstructured nature of web searching, and the countless kinds of information that exist on the web, make it possible for us to find information that we might never think to specifically look for. You just don't know what you will find, good, bad or otherwise.
When the #1 Google search result on a name & address search is a Crime Stoppers Wanted poster with a picture of a person you were alone with 10 minutes ago, and who asked you to show a remote property a little later in the day, you will come to appreciate the power of quick search for random information about your prospects as a standard practice. That was the exact result the very first time I Googled a prospect. Fortunately, that kind of a shock doesn't happen all that often, but it does happen. Would you rather know, or not know?
David North
Real Estate Professional
Coldwell Banker Bain
www.AweHomes.com
425-836-3096 any time
Wallace S. Gibson, CPM * GIBSON MANAGEMENT GROUP, Ltd.
Central Virginia
LandlordWhisperer
View our available Charlottesville, Albemarle and Lake Monticello rental homes online with photos and floor plans
"...to be a Virginian, either by Birth, Marriage, Adoption, or even on one's Mother's side, is an Introduction to any State in the Union, a Passport to any Foreign Country, and a Benediction from the Almighty God...." Anonymous
Your post is very timely. An agent in my office owns a bito of investment property. Today, she was telling us a story about a tenant she is in legal proceedings against. In addition to being 6 months behind in rent, the tenant passed a bad check. Her attorney is advising she do a full background check on future possible tenants! She is putting that on her mls listings in addition to a credit check. One can never be too careful.
This is an excellent post. I never thought to google someone! I google peers all the time, but never considered a prospective tenant/client. I've definitely had some scary situations in the past and we are taught to be extra careful going out by ourselves but this is definitely something I will be doing in the future. Thanks for posting!
Thats an idea I had not even crossed my mind. Thanks may have to give it try.
Interesting post. I did not think of googling my prospects but you do raise some great security concerns . I know that some co-op boards have started to google applicants. Thanks for the post
Wallace - I usually try to find prospects I am working with on Facebook, but have found that more difficult than I thought. When I look up Frank Jones, and there are 50 that show up, I never know which one it is. I will try to google my prospects and see how that goes.
Troy * you should be able to put in their state to find them....
You're so right about the importance of gathering this free data.
Really good advice in this world today. Thanks!
The more you know about something or someone, the better decisions you are able to make. Good advice.