Threats from a U.S. Marshal? Just another day in real estate! Brad Frike, an Omaha REALTOR® of 17 years, shares the story of when he was threatened by a U.S. Marshal - and gypped out of a bulletproof vest. Listen in to learn why Brad actually did the right thing when “Tom” called - and discover what the best REALTORS® do to represent their community and protect their clients.

Please subscribe to this podcast in iTunes or in the Podcasts App on your phone, and never miss a beat from Leigh by visiting leighbrown.com. If you’re tired of doing real estate alone, enroll in Leigh Brown University and be sure to use your special “CSIRE” discount code at checkout for $10 off your subscription.

• 01:00 – Introducing Brad, a REALTOR® in Omaha, NE of 17 years; he started when his daughter was born and he was “Mr. Mom”
• 03:00 - When he bought his first lot he was 17 or 18, so he couldn’t legally own it; at the time 19 was an adult, but that rule has since changed 
• 04:00 - The lot was in his dad’s name and he bought it to flip it; his daughter is more introverted and wants to be an engineer
• 06:00 - Brad’s CSIRE story
• 06:00 - 12 years ago, on his street - which he still lives on today - his wife and kids were outside on a nice December day
• 07:00 - They were told to get in the house and he looked around; the SWAT team was all over their street invading the home of a meth-dealing attorney
• 08:00 - They didn’t hear gossip; he wasn’t making it in the home, though, just dealing there 
• 09:00 - He struck up a conversation with a man a few months later by the mailbox; turns out it was the attorney’s father and Brad helped him sell the house
• 10:00 - A professional REALTOR® does the research and protects the people they represent; he knew and shared what happened with the home
• 11:00 - Brad’s lessons
• 11:00 - He connected with the father and addressed potential buyer concerns about the traffic and safety of the house
• 12:00 - The CSIRE story continues
• 12:00 - A man called him and asked all the typical potential buyer questions; he offered to show him the house
• 13:00 - The next day, at 6:30 am, he gets a voicemail from the same guy, saying he needed to open the door to the house, that he was a U.S. Marshal
• 14:00 - He looks down the street and it’s filled with black, unmarked vehicles and a K-9 vehicle; the house was surrounded by armed men
• 15:00 - When Brad told the U.S. Marshal that the house is empty, he got upset; Brad had told him it was occupied, which is what you should do for safety
• 16:00 - They went in and made sure he wasn’t home; they asked if Brad knew where he was and threatened to arrest him if he wasn’t where he said 
• 17:00 - The son had gone through the county system and had already been released from jail; the county and U.S Marshal clearly don’t communicate
• 18:00 - Brad never heard about it again and didn’t sell the house; he doesn’t talk about the home’s story
• 22:00 - How to contact Brad: on his website www.bradfrike.com  or by phone at (402) 991-9263

3 Key Points

1.) Know disclosure rules in your state.

2.) Don’t advertise homes as being vacant - that’s asking for trouble.

3.) REALTORS® need bulletproof protection, too!