It’s a nasty game that many real estate agents have played for years. Now one Connecticut real estate agent is finding out just how serious the criminal penalties for it can be…
One Bridgeport, CT real estate agent has just been busted for stealing a competitor’s for sale signs. He now faces criminal prosecution and no doubt the end of his run in the business. However, besides not getting caught, there are several valuable real estate education lessons agents, investors and homeowners should learn from this.
The first is that obviously for sale signs in yards really do work. Otherwise it is doubtful this Connecticut real estate agent would have gone so far in stealing them. Fortunately there are now devices available for sellers and their agents to secure their signs from this type of activity.
The fact that this broker was actually stealing from his ex-employer is also a powerful remind not to let employees leave angry. In this case it back fired on the offender but smarter and more tech savvy employees can do far more damage to a real estate company or professional’s reputation online today, with little fear of retribution. No matter why the relationship is ending, try to ensure there are no bad feelings.
It is important for Connecticut real estate professionals to recognize this type of behavior and watch out for similar issues such as content theft and plagiarism on the internet. Despite search engine changes which make this foolish, it is still being done on a wide scale. Fight back against those doing it.
With all this said it is essential to say that not all CT Realtors are bad. Unfortunately the few like this hurt everyone. So whether you are buying a home or want to sell a home in Connecticut just make sure you check out anyone you are considering doing business with.
