Agent Safety Tips
We are all mindful of the horrific loss of our fellow Realtor, Beverly Carter. Our collective thoughts and prayers go to the family of this brave agent who made the ultimate sacrifice while simply trying to help someone attain the American dream of owning a home.
We are all discussing safety during our office meetings and gatherings in light of what has happened to Beverly. Towards that end, I have dusted off my old company safety tips that I have accumulated over the last 40 years, added a few and am including them here for you. (Note: some of these may be repeated on the list and seem redundant because they came from different sources. I think of it like this: those items repeated on multiple lists are the most important.)
If you would like a pdf copy to download and print, just click here —> Safety tips for Real Estate Agents.
You may have your own list or items you want to add. If so, please share them in the comments so I can add them to this list as well. We should all be able to learn from and help one another at times like these.
Whether you use this list or have a safety checklist of your own, I cannot stress enough the importance of making sure you have one and that you follow it.
We have chosen a profession that while responsible for 15% of our nation’s GDP, also requires us to be more diligent in how we operate when it comes to showing properties or going on listing appointments alone.
Our fellow citizens depend on our dedication to our profession. It is important though, to not let that dedication get in the way of your personal safety. God Bless all Realtors.
What you can do about SAFETY
Selling real estate can be a fun and rewarding profession, but it can also be extremely risky due to the large number of strangers that you may have to meet alone. Hundreds of real estate practitioners have been killed on the job nationwide over the past few decades. Numerous others were assaulted or robbed while out in the field. By being aware of basic safety guidelines, you can improve your chances of not becoming a victim and keep your daily business activities fun, profitable, and safe. To help you establish and maintain safety in your everyday routine, we have assembled this collection of safety tips and office procedures.
GENERAL SAFETY TIPS…
- Don’t host an open house alone; take along a colleague. Never show property alone at night or advertise it as vacant.
- All Real Estate Open Houses should end no later than 4:00 PM.
- If you must sit a property that doesn’t have a phone, bring along a cell phone. Tell someone at the office you’ll call every hour, then do it like clockwork so that person will know right away if something is wrong.
- Be careful how you dress. Flashy or expensive jewelry might attract the wrong kind of attention.
- Don’t put your home phone number on your business card. Your Real Estate business number should be the only number on your card.
- Always take your own car for showings. When you leave your car, lock it.
- Let potential buyers take the lead when exploring a home, with you following behind. Avoid going into the basement, second floors or confined areas with a prospect.
- Always have prospects meet you at your office the first time. Ask them for identification. If they question you about it, say it’s company policy.
- Find out as much as you can about prospects, such as where they work, what they do, and how much they earn. Ask lots of questions and be a good listener.
- Preview the property if possible so that you are familiar with the area.
- Don’t be greedy. If you’re suspicious, it’s better to walk away from a listing or a showing.
- Write down the customer’s driver’s license or vehicle license plate prior to transporting them or showing the listing. Leave this information with the office.
- Keep your cell phone charged and with you. Remember to use a code phrase when you need help but can’t talk, like: “I am calling to check on the Jones offer.”
- Have your vehicle inspected regularly; keep it maintained; learn how to change a flat tire.
- Display confidence and strength; don’t wear clothes that restrict your ability to run or protect yourself.
- Maintain a file on past and present suspicious customers and homes.
- Make sure your Real Estate Emergency Contact form is accurate and up to date at least once per year and is on file in your office.
Source: REALTOR® Magazine
13 WAYS TO STAY AHEAD OF THE BAD GUYS…
- Carry a cell phone and program it so that the police emergency number (911) is on speed dial.
- The more exposure you have, the greater your risk. Concentrate on your professional proficiency rather than personal information on the web and resumes.
- Don’t get caught off guard at open houses or listing presentations. Prepare a scenario so that you can leave or encourage the person making you uncomfortable to leave. Some ideas: You were just texted, and you have to call your office; you left some information in your car you need to get; mention that you’re expecting another salesperson with buyers in a few minutes.
- If you’re accosted in a parking lot and forced to drive, don’t leave the area. One suggestion: If you’re in a crowded area, run your vehicle into another one or into something else, such as a building or a tree. You’ll attract attention, and that’s the last thing a perpetrator wants. If you’re confronted at your car, throw your car key in one direction and run screaming in the opposite direction. For this reason, keep your car key separate from your other keys.
- Make a copy of the party’s driver’s license and write down a car license if you can. If possible, get an employer’s name and call to confirm employment. It’s tempting to start showing homes right away to walk-ins, but it’s better if you get information and make an appointment for the following day so that you have time to fact check.
- Check county property records to confirm the ownership of property before you go to a listing appointment or approach a FSBO. The more information you have, the easier and quicker it is for police to catch a perpetrator if you become a crime victim.
- Know the sales area. Preview the property. Meet the buyers at your office, where they can be seen by your co-workers. Then travel separately to the property: Don’t feel obligated to act as a chauffeur.
- It’s better to walk away from a listing or not show a house if you have an uneasy feeling.
- Let your office know where you are at all times. Arrange to call your office at a specific time and do it. No excuses.
- Take someone with you to open houses, listing appointments, and showings.
- If a buyer wants to see houses in an area you perceive as unsafe, don’t go.
- Carry pepper spray on your key ring and in your car and know how to use it. Take a personal safety course.
- Exercise caution when being approached by a vehicle with blue lights at night. Call 911 to identify the vehicle, turn on your flashers to acknowledge that you see the police car, and keep moving until you’re in a well-lit area. A legitimate law enforcement official will understand your caution.
Source: REALTOR® Magazine
OPEN HOUSE SAFETY…
- Upon entering a house for the first time, check all rooms and determine several “escape” routes.
- Make sure all deadbolt locks are unlocked to facilitate a faster escape.
- Make sure if you were to escape by the back door, that you could escape from the backyard. Frequently, high fences surround yards that have swimming pools or hot tubs.
- Place one of your business cards, with the data and time on the back, in a kitchen cupboard. Note on it if you were the first to arrive or if clients were waiting.
- When prospects begin to arrive, jot down their car description, license number and physical description.
- When showing the house, always walk behind the prospect–direct them, don’t lead them.
- Watch what the prospects are doing at all times. Do not become preoccupied with viewing the home, and expect the unexpected.
- Notify someone in your office, a friend or relative that you will be calling in every hour on the hour, and that if you don’t call, they are to notify the police immediately.
- Inform a neighbor that you will be showing the house and ask if he would keep an ear open for anything out of the ordinary.
- Have someone from your office, a relative or friend stay with you.
- If you bring your cell phone charger with you and plug it in during your open house be sure to unplug it and carry it with you when people arrive at the house.
Source: Washington Real Estate Safety Council
IN YOUR CAR AND ON THE ROAD…
Auto accidents sometimes are no accident at all, but a staged production by criminals where you are unknowingly and innocently made an actor. Before you take to the road, learn to recognize auto accident scams to help prevent you and your family from becoming victims.
Schemes and Scams
- Swoop and Squat – Two vehicles work as a team to set up an accident. One vehicle pulls in front of an innocent driver and the other alongside, blocking the victim in. The lead car stops short, causing the victim to rear-end him. The car that pulled up alongside serves as a block and prevents the victim from avoiding a collision.
- Drive Down – As an innocent driver tries to merge into traffic, the suspect driver yields, waving on the other driver. As this innocent driver merges, the suspect driver intentionally collides with the victim and denies giving him the right of way.
- Start and Stop – Stopped in the same lane of traffic, the suspect’s vehicle is positioned directly in front of the victim. The suspect starts to move forward as does the innocent driver. For no reason, the suspect vehicle suddenly stops short, causing the victim to rear-end him.
- Sideswiping in a Two-lane Turn – At an intersection that has two left turn lanes, the suspect crosses the center-line, intentionally sideswiping the victim’s car. The suspect then alleges that the victim caused the collision by entering his lane.
SEVEN ROAD SAFETY TIPS…
As you become more mobile, it stands to reason that you’ll spend more time dodging accidents, thieves, and violent drivers. Protect yourself with these seven tips:
- If you must use the phone while driving use your speakerphone.
- Carry a first aid kit.
- Keep roadside breakdown essentials in the trunk: flares, a tire-inflation canister, basic hand tools, spare belts and hoses, water, and a flashlight.
- Go for the keyless entry system on new-car purchases or have one retrofitted for your older vehicle. It should include a panic button that triggers the car’s alarm. Don’t hesitate to use it if a suspicious stranger approaches.
- Don’t antagonize potentially dangerous drivers by mimicking their gestures or aggressive driving. Just let it go.
- Make sure all doors are locked when you’re driving, especially at night, and keep the windows and sunroof only partly open.
- Secure your techno-gadgets and other valuables by keeping them well out of sight.
Source: REALTOR® Magazine
AT THE ATM…
- Try to plan your visits to automatic teller during the day, rather than after dark.
- Choose an ATM location that is in a busy public place. Avoid making withdrawals in isolated areas.
- If at all possible, take along a friend who can watch the surroundings while you are conducting your transactions.
- Pre-plan your transaction carefully, and don’t spend too much time at the machine.
- When you make a withdrawal, quickly place the money in your purse or wallet and leave as soon as you finish your transaction.
- Watch out for suspicious-looking people waiting around an ATM – they may not really be customers. If someone offers to let you go ahead of them, decline politely and leave.
- When visiting a drive-through ATM, keep your doors locked and be prepared to drive away quickly. If anyone approaches your car on foot, roll up your window and drive off.
- If you have not finished your transaction, and you are approached by a suspicious character, press the CANCEL button, receive your card and leave quickly.
Have tips of your own to add? Please share them in the comments below.
4 Comments
Dr. Linda Harrington
10/01/2014Jack, all potential buyers in my practice are clients. I require they complete a broker-buyer representation agreement with me at the beginning of my interaction with them. This contract includes potential buyer financial ability to purchase, along with full identification information… Drivers license, passport or visa information if appropriate, their contact information and a mailing address. I have not yet asked for references but would not hesitate to do so if I deemed it appropriate.
I have been a real estate broker of record for 5 years (a retirement career for me). I continue to be amazed at the degree of potential danger real estate agents knowingly place themselves in as a matter of routine and in the facade of “professionalism” with the unrealistic fear of breaking a “code of ethics” if they do not risk their safety by bowing to every request by perfect strangers. Managing and principal brokers of firms unwittingly promote this mindset by affirming that service comes first, and the unspoken mantra is often “Be safe, but don’t say no.”
In my opinion, the industry would benefit greatly by turning the burden of proof to the people who walk into our lives daily and expect that we lead them in making an important financial and life decision. True professionals vet their clients and make a decision whether or not they want to work with them. So must real estate agents and brokers. If not right for you for any reason that does not break fair housing law,
Just say no.
Jack
11/03/2014Thanks for your feedback Linda. We definitely must keep our safety in mind at all times.
valentine hansen
10/03/2014Thank you Jack for these tips. I will share them next week at our broker safety meeting. Beverly was a very sweet lady and a great agent.I have done numerous deals with her over the years and was working on a offer on one of her listing last week. Her funeral is Saturday morning at 10 am. Needless to say it will be attended by several thousand people. The way all the Realtors and people in our community have joined together during this tragedy is really unbelievable. People everywhere have been telling me to be careful and safe and gone out of their to show concern to me and my team members.
I have enjoyed reading your book “Selling Luxury Homes” and my son’s name is Jack so I know you are a great guy.
Wishing you continued success,
Valentine Hansen
Jack
11/03/2014From what I hear she was an extremely devoted Realtor and we are lucky to have been able to call her a colleague. Thank you for your kind words.
PS. Say hi to Jack for me.