Security the priority when holding an open house

My home is on the market and we’d like to have an open house. What should we do to prepare for it?

With warmer weather upon us, open-house signs are starting to pop up more frequently. It’s one of the signs that we’re heading into the busy spring real estate market.

March is also Fraud Prevention Month, a nationally recognized time for consumer protection organizations such as RECO to remind con- sumers about tips to avoid becoming victims of fraud.

As you start planning and preparing your home for the selling process, you’ll probably be thinking about how to make your home look its best. I’m sure cleaning, decluttering, staging and maybe even some minor improvements are on your to-do list.

But even more importantly, you should consider safety and security before you open up your home to strangers. In most circumstances, you wouldn’t allow strangers to wander through your home, so planning ahead and having the right protection in place is key.

Your registered real estate professional can be a valuable asset in helping you have the right precautions in place for the open house.

First, consider these tips to protect your valuables:

Remove anything of sentimental or monetary value from the property during the open house.

Place small items such as portable electronics and jewelry in a secure place, and your nightstand or un- derwear drawer don’t count.

Remove prescription medications, including those in medicine cabinets or on dressers or nightstands.

Additionally, you’ll want to take steps to protect your identity. Since identity theft can sometimes be a precursor to other types of fraud, you should ensure bills, credit card receipts, bank statements, passports and other important documents are out of view, and preferably secured under lock and key. It’s also a good idea to remove any electronics with personal information from view and lock them with a password so that your information can’t be accessed. This could include tablets, laptops and desktop computers.

In addition to removing valuables and personal information, your real estate professional can ensure there are other precautions in place during the open house. For example, you can ask him or her to keep track of everyone who enters the property by having each visitor show their identification and complete a registration form.

You can also ask your representative to limit the number of visitors in your home at one time, or ask them to bring a colleague to ensure that all visitors are escorted as they tour the property.

Opening your home to potential buyers is part of the process to get that “sold” sticker on your lawn sign, but be sure to have a plan in place with your real estate professional to keep your belongings safe and secure. For more tips and information about Fraud Prevention Month, follow the #fpm2016 on Twitter. Joseph Richer is registrar of the Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO). He oversees and enforces all rules governing real estate professionals in Ontario. Email questions to askjoe@reco.on.ca. Find more tips at reco.on.ca, follow on Twitter @RECOhelps or on YouTube at youtube.com/RECOhelps.

Ensure bills, passports, credit card receipts are hidden in a safe place. Identity theft can sometimes be a precursor to other types of fraud