Getting Calls to Sell Your Home? Spot the Scams First

By Kandie Frederick

Growing up on the central coast, Kandie is a third generation family in the North County and a second generation family in real estate. Joining Country Real Estate in 2000, and graduating from Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, she brings a background of Agricultural Business to combine with her knowledge of the local real estate market. Working with her family and their decades of local real estate development, she is deeply connected to the roots of our community and its growth.

Have you noticed more calls, texts, and emails asking if you want to sell your home? Some claim they already have a buyer ready. Others say they are investors looking for properties in the area. It is a question I get regularly, so I want to share what every homeowner should know before responding to any of them.

Why are you getting the calls? Property ownership information is public record, and many companies use that data to market to homeowners. Some are simply building marketing lists. If you reply, even just to say take me off your list, you confirm your number is current and active. It is usually best to delete or block the message instead.

Some callers are legitimate investors or buyers, others are wholesalers looking for opportunities, and many are just making a high volume of calls, hoping to find someone ready to sell. Not every caller has the same intentions.

Watch for the red flags. Be cautious if someone refuses to identify themselves or their company. The same goes for anyone who pressures you to act quickly, sends suspicious links, requests personal or financial information, or wants to move the conversation over to WhatsApp or Zoom. This is happening locally right now. Clicking a link can give a stranger access to your device and your data. These are all signs to slow down and verify who you are dealing with.

The biggest risk hides inside real transactions. Say it is a real buyer and the deal is moving forward. Impersonators target the transaction itself, and the most expensive scams often happen during legitimate sales. Fraudsters can pose as escrow companies, title companies, lenders, or agents and send fake wire instructions. The protection here is simple and worth repeating. Always verify wire instructions by phone before sending any funds, using a number you already trust rather than one from an email.

What to do when someone contacts you. There is nothing wrong with exploring an offer. Just remember that the highest offer is not always the best offer. Not every buyer has the ability to close, and you want someone watching out for your best interest.

Before you share information, click a link, or sign anything, it helps to talk with a trusted local professional who can evaluate whether the offer is legitimate and whether it actually fits your goals. That kind of guidance is part of how I help clients through the selling process from the first conversation to the closing table.

The reality is that not every call or text is a scam. Plenty of them are routine marketing, and some are real buyers. The point is to know who you are talking to before you hand over information or put your name on anything. A little caution upfront protects both your data and your home’s value.

If you ever get an offer, a text, or an email that does not feel right, reach out, and I am happy to help you evaluate it. You can call or text me at (805) 239-9566, email me at kandie@countryrealestate.com, or visit www.countryrealestate.com. I would be glad to take a look before you respond to anything