Man kills estate agent after complaining new house doesn’t match online description: ‘I shot my realtor’
Police say an 84-year-old man killed his real estate agent in Virginia a day after he moved into a property that he bought “sight unseen” from an online listing.
Albert Baglione, 84, had paid in cash for a single-story house in Portsmouth from realtor Søren Arn-Oelschlegel early in October for $160,000, finalising the deal and moving into the neighbourhood without viewing the property in person.
Apparently unhappy with the state of house, Baglione had reportedly called his real estate agent to talk about it. “He said it didn’t look the same as it did in the pictures,” Shane, a next-door neighbour was quoted as saying by the Virginian-Pilot. “He told his son he was unhappy and that he was going to talk to his agent about it.”
Arn-Oelschlegel was seemingly unaware of his discontent and had posted on his professional Facebook page after the sale: “Congratulations to my out of town buyer. I’m so happy I was able to find him a home that fit his needs.”
On 8 October, police were called to the property at around 6pm, and arrived to be greeted by Baglione at the door.
“I shot my realtor,” the 84-year-old told the officers, reported NBC affiliate WAVY. “At the time of the encounter, Mr Baglione had a weapon in his hand,” said Portsmouth Police Department in a press release.
“After his statement, he closed his door and police heard a gunshot.” Police waited for a SWAT team to arrive, and upon entering the building the officers discovered that Baglione had taken his own life. “Police [also] located 41-year-old Soren Arn-Oelschlegel inside the residence with a fatal gunshot wound,” the release said.
Neighbours told local media that Baglione had not seemed well before the incident. “He just looked like maybe he had a mental breakdown or something,” a man named Jay told CBS affiliate WTKR. “He didn’t look right at all. He kept driving up and down the street all day.”
The killing of the realtor has created ripples across the community, and a memorial service is due to be held on Saturday 16 October. “We are heartbroken to announce to our Hampton Roads Pride family that yesterday, Friday, [8 October 2021], Søren Arn-Oelschlegel, our brother, friend, member and volunteer was fatally shot,” the local nonprofit Hampton Roads Pride wrote on their Facebook page.
"The LGBTQ community of Hampton Roads has lost a vibrant person [who’s] hard to replace," Rudy Almanzor, president of Hampton Roads Pride, said.
Others also raised concerns around the risks of the real estate business. “You are working with people you don’t know. You don’t know their families and their backgrounds,” Wendy Carbaugh, a realtor in Hampton Roads, told WAVY.
She told the portal that she lets the client enter the home first and keeps her car keys close at hand to trigger her car alarm. “Because they can close the door, and if you’re walking in front of them they can close the door and lock it behind you, and then you’re trapped.”
