Homebuyers face security crackdown From: AAP October 28, 2005
HOME buyers in Victoria face a security crackdown - a move that has implications for the other states - with the real estate industry reeling after the murder of an agent and a spate of thefts during inspections.
Prospective buyers could be asked to produce photo identification before they are shown through a home for sale, as part of a new industry code that follows the murder of Elders Real Estate agent Lorelle Makin.
The 48-year-old's body was found in the bath of a vacant two-storey home on Melbourne's suburban outskirts in September, and the industry has also faced reports of jewellery and other valuable items taken as thieves target "open homes" in affluent suburbs.
The Real Estate Institute of Victoria (REIV) said today it was in talks with Workcover Victoria to develop new guidelines for agents when they worked out of the office.
REIV chief executive Enzo Raimondo also said agencies had been asked to adopt a new "Conditions of Entry" code for home inspections, to boost security.
Under the plan, homes open for inspection would display a sign clearly showing the conditions of entry.
"The conditions include asking people to provide their name and address, contact phone numbers and photo identification, if requested," Mr Raimondo said today.
"People who don't wish to comply with entry conditions may be refused entry by the agent".
Mr Raimondo said the personal details would be handled in accordance with privacy laws, and agents must destroy the information once the property was sold or the agent's authority came to an end.
He said the move would enhance security and provide useful information to an owner and their agents about who had inspected the property.
Mr Raimondo also said home owners could help by ensuring personal items and valuable objects were either removed or securely locked away during house inspections. </pre>
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