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.
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- 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!