Open house horror stories: Be sure to knock first 

January 25, 2008 05:25PM By Janet Huege

From the January issue: Being a broker isn't always easy. Supposedly loyal clients can dump you, a million dollar commission can slip through your fingers or an eagerly anticipated open house can go horrendously wrong. But it is usually the latter that provides the most entertaining stories â€" at least for those not directly involved. A recent cluster of thefts at open houses on the Upper East Side illustrated just how vulnerable sellers can be and underscored the need for broker vigilance. In this case, two women wearing disguises slipped into high-end open houses and made off with expensive jewelry, luggage and even a bottle of champagne. Needless to say, brokers at those open houses did not have a good day. Here are the tales of other brokers who have also had less-than-stellar experiences at open houses. more


Comments

David Francis

Some idiot guy tried to rob a watch from one of my open houses years ago. Bad mistake, I knocked him right out, though to my amazement he got up a few seconds later and disappeared in a wink... Pissed me off that he got up that quick though.

Comment #1 Posted By: David Francis 01/26/08

DD

A male broker from a major firm came to one of my open houses a few years back and tried to steal a large bottle of chanel perfume. He had arrived with a newspaper, he had stuck the bottle inside the rooled up paper, when he turned to me to say good bye, I could plainly see the bottle in the rolled up paper and I busted him. He fled. About 2 minutes later he burst back in and grabbed the business card he left for sign in and ran away again. What a mess.

Comment #2 Posted By: DD 01/27/08

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