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Don’t use floorplans, videos or high-res images, vendors are told

Property services firm is worried that too much information is being given to burglars in property listings.

Nigel Lewis

burglary property

A property services firm has accused online property listings uploaded by estate agents of being a ‘paradise’ of information for burglars.

Rubbish removal firm Divert.co.uk founding director Mark Hall says online property listings are giving criminals too much intelligence about homes, and that this is increasing the likelihood of burglaries at homes listed ‘for sale’.

He even goes as far to say that vendors should reject floorplans for their property, as they give burglars a clear idea of layout, enabling them to plan better for the visit.

Hall also urges vendors to monitor carefully what their estate agents uploading to Rightmove, Zoopla, OTM or Boomin and ensure interior and exterior pics are vetted prior to publications.

Video ban

This includes ensuring images and in particular videos don’t give away security levels and details, include images of high-value goods in rooms and even which rooms are visible from the street – or not.

mark hall burglaries“All this gives the burglar time to plan their crime, giving them those vital minutes to get in, rob your home, and make a clean getaway” says Hall (pictured).

“And coupled with Google Street View, they’ve probably already got a good idea of access points and CCTV blind spots.

“You might be the kind of person who looks after their online identity and shreds all their personal documents to combat identity theft, but you could still unwittingly be inviting the dregs of society into the otherwise private space where you live.”

Hall also warns against video or 3D walk-throughs, which are much more useful than property images because of the wealth of information they contain.

May 9, 2022

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