I quickly climbed over a fence after encountering a big dog.

Paul,

Your story is funny, those racoons are mischief makers no doubt about that.  The only time I had a near scare, was when I was showing a building to a former Dodger player who wanted to establish a new business.  I opened the door and music was on, a Christmas tree on its side in the next room and a hot plate.  It was clear someone had moved in.  I was glad to have this strong looking man next to me.  Called the owner and they got rid of the stuff, a homeless man had moved in and stolen a Christmas tree from an adjoining lot. A

No, not scared.  I walked in on some vagrants on a REO, told them they needed to leave and walked them out.  I am 6'3 and 195LBS, I go in first when I show properties and that is why.  :)

I was previewing homes alone.  I opened the door and yelled inside to alert anyone that might be inside.  I cannot explain it.  I stepped one foot inside the door and decided it did not feel right ... and I stepped out and left.  It was just a gut feeling I had and I went with it.

I can't say I was really scared, but I was uncomfortable and nervous.  I said I needed to get something out of my vehicle and climbed in, locked the doors and drove off.  Sent that home owner a letter saying I could not represent him.

Hi Paul -- maybe I'm just a wuss but I've been frightened more than once.

• The naked guy buttering his bagel when I went to a house during broker preview
• The ghostly guy who answered the door at a vacant house I was showing clients
• The REO home that had been overtaken by intruders who seemed to be using it for a drug den and/or brothel

And then the next time some really frightening experiences....

I almost peers in my pants but realized there were no bathrooms working in the house😁so I grined and bared it

18 years and have never been scared or have felt in danger - thank you LORD!

In my former profession I learned not to go somewhere where I did not feel safe.  So far I haven't experienced that issue

Showing an REO. Upper/lower - bottom unit OK. Door to upper broken. Quietly went in with my big mag lite, found an OD victim (thought it was a pile of rags).  Big burn hole in roof with tarp over it. Apparently had started a fire to keep warm!

Crazy, crazy stuff. Called the cops and the listing agent, sent the buyers away. Just north of downtown in a major central city.  

I was doing a market analysis in a poor neighborhood for a home that was supposed to be empty but I always approach cautiously. I looked in and there were squatters so I went immediately to the car. It can also be a good idea to walk around the back with the gate open for quick exit.

I've heard some noises in homes that have alarmed me.  And, in those cases I made a steady retreat out the door and left.

A late showing after dark brought me a huge adrenaline rush. No lights were on and as I progressed through the home to light some, the silhouettes of 2 Doberman Pinschers appeared. We all stood still as statues and luckily that's exactly what they turned out to be. They were completely black but I temporarily became porcelain white you could say.   

I haven't been really scared but did find a homeless person squatting in a forecloxse listing once. We just got out of there.

Of all the situations we have all encountered, from the vagrant living in the garage to the crazy dude babbling hatred in the street, the one that left me feeling exposed to emanate danger sounds much more innocent.

The house had been vacant, abandoned. Over grown. A boardwalk conveniently guided us to the front door. As we approached, our foot steps disturbed the wooden planks of the walkway and snakes exploded from beneath going left and right into the brambles. That wasn't so scary but certainly exciting. We get to the door and peer into the window. The floor is gone! Well, it was priced accordingly.

As we turn 180 to head out, at midpoint of the board walk is a cloud of honey bee's had formed, clearly very unhappy. Knowing what lays immediately in front, and what we knew was in the grass, created a moment of "Will it ever end?" thought of exasperation. We did enter the house, and existed via the garage door.

The real fear set in when I realized all the things that COULD have gone wrong!

One of my agents was showing a home that was tenant occupied. The tenant answered her door knock with a handgun tucked in the front of his pants! 

if I even thought that a situation was frightening or could be frightening, there would not be a preview or showing.... I won't ask for trouble.....

Paul, we had a showing scheduled on a foreclosure where the tenant was squatting as the owner walked away and no longer collected rent.  We were pulling up for a showing and they were still home and the male was on the front yard screaming at the top of his lungs so we just drove on.

Yes I was in model home and a person came in asking about a home.  He wanted to point out the house throught the window.  I was a rookie at this time.  He pushed me up against the window and I screamed.  I was very lucky as the builder was in the basement and came running.  They guy ran out of the model and got in his car.  We did not get his license plate.  I have learned not to turn my back on anyone after that.

Walked into my vacant listing yesterday to find it totally destroyed & clearly someone had been squatting in it.  

I've also walked into a showing once only to hear a squatter rushing to get out the back door.  

Not in the traditional sense. I've been in places that I'm sure were infested with "something" and just wanting to leave the place because my skin was crawling.

Thankfully, I've not come across this situation, but I suppose there will always be a first time. You did the right thing.

I recently did a walk through with a client who had become increasingly erratic and unreasonable. I tried to get one of the guys on my team to go with me because it was about 45 minutes from home, a 3 acre property, lots of woods, and after dark. Her husband was there too and he is really off the wall. He yelled at me and cursed at me and generally was out of control. I was pretty angry at having to do that by myself.  The only good that came of it was that I went next door to talk to the neighbors about moving a car that was parked slightly on the property we were about to go to settlement on. They had heard the buyer's husband yelling at me in the front yard and ended up listing their home with me and buying a new one with us too. 

I was shaken when I walked in on a squatter sleeping in the back bedroom of a vacant house. I backed out of the door and told the fellow to gather his things and leave by the back door. I would wait in the front yard with my client and in five minutes if he wasn't gone I would call the police. He left, then I showed the house and made sure all doors were locked. I was scared but tried to remain calm and not show it.

It can be scary previewing homes especially if they are vacant.   I would have RAN to my car.

I was doing a CMA on property in the most dangerous neighborhood in the South side of Chicago last Summer from a lead I got from a member of AR and an investor. I went at 7:00 AM because I thought the bad people would still be asleep. I still had my Range Rover then and when I pulled up there were cars jammed in the street and a couple of guys started fighting with each other over approaching my car. When the bigger one won he came up to me and said "What you need". I said I am just a Realtor and he said Sheeeeeeeeeeet. I left pretty fast.

I am done with that scene.