Another great twist on an old fav

Thursday night I was invited to participate in the Suburban West Realtor Association's "Technically Speaking" event that offers tech training for REALTORS. (side note...no CBH'ers were there...cough cough).

My presentation was about the multitude of amazing free tools available from the great and powerful Google. The sessions lasted a half-hour, I am positive I could have talked for an entire day.

Nevertheless, one of the tools we discussed is an "oldie-but-a-goodie" called Google Alerts. I hope you have heard of it before, but if not Google Alerts allows you to set up a search and have Google email you each time a new match is found. It is a great way to track your name (to make sure people aren't saying awful things about you and thank those saying nice things) or your company, your favorite band or even your kids. Google Alerts saves a ton of time and energy - plus it never forgets.

I told the crowd that I always set up a Google Alert when I have a listing that covers the street address. That way if some less-than-scrupulous firm attempts to list it as their own in order to get buyer leads I can reach out and remind them just how the rules were written (or sometimes I ask Barry to remind them for me). One of the participants suggested that this could be a great way to avoid craigslist scams...and while I haven't tested it yet he may be right.

For those who don't know, one of the best real estate scams going on right now is for people (usually working from a foreign country) to go to craigslist and set up a bogus posting offering your listing as a rental - usually at an unbelievably low price. They then convince the tennants who email for info that there is a ton of activity...that they were about to present an offer...but that they will present yours if you will wire the security deposit into their bank right away. Yes, believe it or not, some people actually do it...and then they try to come after the homeowner, the brokerafe offering it for sale (who had no idea it was being fraudently being offered for rent) and the agent. Never fun.

So what if you had a Google Alert for your listing address and it suddenly returned a hit for a bogus rental on craigslist? Well if nothing else you could get yourself prepared for if/when the you-know-what hits the fan.

Check it out.... www.Google.com/alerts