Inman

Police on hunt after armed suspects raid real estate brokerage in New York City

Police are on the hunt after two suspects hogtied the employees of a Bronx real estate brokerage before robbing the company in broad daylight.

The terrifying attack began around 5:30 p.m. last Tuesday after a woman entered the office of Expert Homes Real Estate Group in search of a new home. Police believe the woman was an accomplice of two men who stormed into the building with guns and quickly began tying up two employees.

It was unclear if the employees were real estate agents.

The male suspects, described as young men in their mid 20s measuring 5-feet 10-inches, swiped the brokerage’s security system, credit cards and $8,000 in cash, along with several piece of jewelry, according to police.

By the time police arrived, the three suspects had fled the office, which appears to be a residential building in the Williamsbridge section of the Bronx, using the credit cards to buy $180 worth of clothing at a nearby store. None of the suspects have been apprehended.

While terrifying, attacks on real estate professionals are not uncommon. In March, an agent was robbed at gunpoint while hosting an open house in San Francisco.  Read here on how to stay safe by always keeping a phone on hand and taking extra time to understand your surroundings while on a showing.

Email Veronika Bondarenko