Surprise, home buyers : You might be on camera.
You might believe that you are having private discussions with your realtor, but what you might not realize is that there may be surveillance cameras turned on somewhere in the house.
Real estate agents say that even the not so neurotic sellers often want to know exactly who wants to buy their homes, what they don’t like about them and just how far they’ve fallen in love with the residences (useful information when it comes to negotiations).
The cameras are most likely legal, although the laws can vary by state. It’s against the law to record someone on audio or video if they’re in a situation in which they have a reasonable expectation of privacy, such as a changing room or bathroom. But when you are in someone else’s house with a real estate agent, it’s a little harder to argue you really have an expectation of privacy.
For sellers, getting that honest feedback can inspire them to make changes – such as replacing flooring or putting in new carpeting. It can also be valuable during negotiations to know just how much buyers want the home – and how much they said they’d be willing to pay for those properties when they thought no one else was listening. Sellers may simply feel nervous about having strangers in their home, amid their possessions, and want some measure of security.
It’s important that people be told there is a camera present. That’s just useful in making everyone feel comfortable.
