Everyone is watching you all the time, and no, this isn’t paranoia speaking. Many homes now have security measures in place beyond a basic alarm.
As a real estate agent or broker, when you’re showing a property, keep in mind the age old adage: if you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything.
More homeowners are installing security cameras, which can broadcast audio and video directly to their smartphones. So even if your client is at work, they can see and hear everything you’re doing if they want to tune in to their camera stream.
Although most listing clients get feedback from tours, they could theoretically check the quality of salesmanship before you even enter the front door during showings.
Ring.com, for example, offers real time info with video doorbells, floodlight cams, and security cameras. All their products broadcast HD video directly to an app available for Android and Apple customers.
Users are alerted any time someone comes in range of the security camera or approaches the door. With two-way audio, homeowners can answer the door remotely through the app.
Amazon recently purchased Ring for a cool billion dollars, so expect to see ownership on the rise. Thanks to some heavy investing on Amazon’s part back in December 2017, Ring products are already integrated as an Alexa skill, so users can interact with Ring security products through their Echo devices.
Google-owned Nest cams pick up motion as well, and even simple indoor motion cams will alert owners of someone’s presence. With the power of wifi and a security camera, homeowners can track your activity on showings.
Avoid the classic theater nightmare scenario where an actor gets caught trash talking backstage because oops, their microphone was on an the entire audience heard everything.
You don’t want to put yourself or company in a compromising situation because something that should have been said in confidence got captured on a doorbell cam outside, or a security cam inside.
Of course, you are already on your most professional behavior when you’re showing a home, cameras or not, but keep in mind that it’s now even easier for clients to monitor their home’s interior and exterior activities.
Lindsay is an editor for The American Genius with a Communication Studies degree and English minor from Southwestern University. Lindsay is interested in social interactions across and through various media, particularly television, and will gladly hyper-analyze cartoons and comics with anyone, cats included.
