‘I learned this the hard way’: Realtor warns homebuyers not to tour houses with their children after harrowing encounter
A Realtor has a serious warning for parents: Never take your children along to view a home. In a viral TikTok video with over 645,300 views, user Karina VanOrman (@karinasutahhomes) shared a story that highlights the dangers of allowing kids to tag along for viewings.
It was extremely harrowing.
"This is how, while showing houses to clients, the client's 6-year-old daughter ended up on a life flight to a children's hospital," the woman started the clip.
Home viewing nightmare
Karina's career in real estate had just started when she decided to show a Utah home to a family. The family decided to bring their three kids along.
However, the children would quickly grow tired of home shopping and find ways to entertain themselves.
"The kids would be running through the home," she explained.
Though the Realtor would try to "corral" the playful children, on one occasion, she was not able to.
The consequence was significant.
As the couple walked through a home, one of their children made a decision that proved to be very dangerous.
She bolted through the home toward the backyard but did not notice a significant detail.
"I could see that she did not notice the sliding door was closed," the Realtor said.
VanOrman tried to call out to the child, but her effort was futile.
"Before she could stop herself, she ran straight through that glass door," she explained.
The glass shattered and left a huge shard in her abdomen.
"She looked down in total panic, and she grabbed it with both hands and pulled it out and cut her hands," VanOrman recalled.
According to the Realtor, the little girl also had several head wounds.
@karinasutahhomes Why I don’t recommend that kids come with parents to look for houses. I learned this the hard way! #lifeflight #traumtizing #realestatestories #utahrealestate #utahrealtor #showinghouses #dangeroussituations ♬ original sound - Karina.VanOrman
What happened next?
In another video, the woman explained that she took first responder classes and was well aware of how serious abdomen wounds could be.
The ambulance was immediately called, and the girl was rushed to the hospital.
However, the Realtor's job did not end there.
She was left to care for the frantic mother and her other children in the aftermath of the incident.
"I just needed to be strong in that situation," she said. "And I needed to, uh, be the one not in shock."
Fortunately, the girl survived the incident. However, it forever changed the Realtor's opinion on bringing children along for home viewings.
"I don't actually recommend the kids come because of this situation," she said.
@karinasutahhomes I don’t recommend that parents bring their young kids to look at homes. If it’s necessary, I have strict rules that we have to stay together at all times. I learned this the hard way. #lifeflight #dangeroussituations #realtorstory #utahrealtor #tramautizing #safetywhileviewinghomes ♬ original sound - Karina.VanOrman
Things to consider before bringing children to a home viewing
Many have addressed the question of whether or not it is appropriate to bring children to a home viewing.
Most real estate agents agree that it all depends on circumstances.
Real Estate Magazine warns that there is much to be considered when deciding whether or not to take kids to view homes.
It also warned that homeowners are not obligated to childproof their homes, which could lead to accidents like these.
Ultimately, parents should always consider the age of their children and the safety of the environment before allowing children to participate.
Viewers respond
In the comments section, viewers blamed the parents for the incident.
"I’m soooo sick of parents expecting strangers to parent their kids," user m00nl4dy commented.
"It’s really sad when kids get hurt because parents are not parenting," user notabiscuit wrote.
"We took 4 kids around to look at houses and they knew to stand 'still' and keep their voices down. Why can't parents teach their kids these things anymore?" another user said.
The Daily Dot reached out to Karina VanOrman via contact form for comment.
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