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A Montana real estate agent was captured on video reacting in terror upon discovering either a squatter or burglar during a digital home showing while touring a property she assumed was empty.
Billings, Montana, real estate agent Alyssa Webb was alone taking a cellphone video of the vacant home for out of state clients when she turned a corner and came face to face with the vagrant, she told local station KULR-8.
“It was really terrifying to know someone was there the entire time I was in that house — and they didn’t try to leave or announce their presence, and they were just hiding,” Webb told the station.
“I didn’t know what they were capable of, if they had a weapon, if they might have attacked me,” she added.
Lennick posted the video to TikTok where it garnered over 7 million views, but said in another video posted later that she had to delete it because she didn’t want to get involved in any “legal battles.”
“It kind of sucks I had to delete it because all I was trying to do was bring awareness to Realtor safety, public safety, and how dangerous this job can be at times,” she said in the follow up video. “And not just real estate but photographers, appraisers, people that are going into vacant homes, it can be a scary thing sometimes.”
Montana police told KULR the suspect fled the scene after Webb spotted him. Billings Police Lt. Matt Lennick also shared tips with the outlet for staying alert in similar situations.
“When you’re approaching a residence or business or something where you might be the only one going in, it’s important to notice what’s going on,” he said. “Is the door jarred, is it unlocked or should it be locked, are windows broken or are the screens moved.”
“If you see something like that, it’s best to just wait out and call us, and we will send officers over,” he added.
Lennick told Fox News digital that the intruder could have been a burglar.
“He was not located and the owner of the property, victim of the burglary, declined to pursue criminal charges and did not want officers to investigate the matter any further,” Lennick said.
Squatting poses a particular risk to real estate agents who spend an outsized amount of time working in vacant homes. In 2017, an agent in Las Vegas was attacked with a rake by a squatter.