Below are some safety tips from some of my Realtor friends. I hope that you can get a little bit of information and use it in your own business.

Hi Beth, one thing I almost always do is take my wallet out of my purse and leave it in my locked car when I’m doing an open house. I also check out prospective clients by doing an internet search on their name, just in case there’s something I need to know about them. Usually, when I enter a house to preview it, I lock the front door behind me so that no one can follow me in. I don’t worry about safety too much, but I just try to be aware of my surroundings. Julia

Hi, I just found your blog and I think it is great what you are doing. I am always giving my friends little lectures on safety and have gotten in some bad situations myself. I actually use a mobile blog and send photos and messages to it so that people know where I am because I work alone and forget to tell anyone where I am. Our jobs are dangerous and we do some stupid things. I am going to put your blog on a couple of my bog roles and like I said I am happy you are doing it.

Hi Beth - You know what I do? Sadly it’s not very good but I really go with my gut. 24 years and that is what I rely on.
That said I always make sure my back is to the door and that I am not boxed in. The customers go in 1st, they go down the stairs 1st and my back is always to the door…so that I can escape.
I also always make sure my car is not blocked and that I have my keys in my hand and not in my purse. I also always close all my windows and sunroof when parked at a showing that way if I need to make a run for it I won’t have to struggle to lock the door and close the windows at the same time.
If meeting someone for the 1st time at a property I tell them that another showing has been scheduled and that I just noticed the other brokers car driving by but that they probably won’t come till we leave but just in case they pull up not to be alarmed.
Beth, my gut is what I depend on…if it does not feel right I am not going to do it. The money is simply not worth it to me.

Hope this helps.

Moni

Hi Beth: I sold real estate for 7 years and right when I got my license, there was an agent who was kidnapped and killed. I almost did not continue with my real estate career, I was pretty scared. Back in 1995, my office did not provide much training or information on safety for us. I got a stun gun (which I never had to use, thank you Lord), and kept it in the side pocket of the door of my car. There is a time when I had a listing presentation on a piece of property way out in the country. I took my 7 year old son. When we got there to meet the seller at his 2nd home, 2 guys came out of the house to meet us. I got that ‘gut’ feeling andshould have left but you know what I did? Nothing. Again, thank God nothing happened, but it could have. We have got to listen to our ‘gut’ feelings. Its better to feel silly later on and reschedule the listing or heaven forbid, lose the listing altogether, but what if something bad had happened? My son would have been involved in it too. All I can say is, follow your company procedures and if you get that ‘gut’ feeling, get out of the situation. Thanks for allowing me to give my 2 cents worth. Julie

Do you have some good safety tips or information to share that you use in your day to day real estate business? If so, leave a comment. So many others would love to know what they can do that will help keep them safe while conducting their real estate business.

Remember, Your Personal Safety Is Up To YOU!

Realtors, 8 Safety Tips to Protect Yourself

December 18, 2007 · Courtesy of MarkLomas.com 

 It never hurts to be careful in this crazy world we live in.  Here are 8 tips for Realtors to consider so they can protect themselves. We work in a very unusual work environment, where occassionally we are meeting strangers.  Recently, in a Mill Valley, California Real Estate office, a well dressed couple walked in, and robbed the floor agent.   Another couple with a similar profile has been also robbing houses throughout the Bay Area.    If you feel this information is helpful, please pass it on to someone you know.

      1.  (Tip from Tae Kwon Do)  The elbow is the strongest point on your body.  If your close enough to use it, do!
      2.  From a tourist guide in New Orleans.  If a robber asks for your wallet or purse, Do Not Hand It To Him!  Toss it away from you…chances are he’s more interested in your wallet or purse than you, and he will go for the wallet or purse.  Run like mad in the other direction!
      3.  If you are ever thrown in the trunk of a car, kick out the back tail lights and stick your arm out the hole and start waving like crazy.  The driver won’t see you, but everybody else will.  This has saved lives.
      4.  Women have a tendency to get into their cars after shopping, eating, working, ect. and just sit (doing their checkbook, or making a list, ect. Don’t Do This!  The predator will be watching you, and this is the perfect opportunity for him to get in on the passenger side, put a gun to your head, and tell you where to go.  As soon as you get into your car, lock the doors and leave! Read the rest of this entry »

As a realtor, when you are out previewing homes or you have your clients with you, you must always be aware and on guard when going into the homes. The best thing to do when you arrive at the property is to look around to see if there are cars in the driveway or in front of the home. That could mean the seller is home and you wouldn’t want to walk in on them unexpectedly. Check to see if the door is unlocked. Ring the doorbell - wait a few seconds, then ring the doorbell again. If no one answers, open the door and show the property.

Once you get into the home, you may want to call out again. You would hate to walk in on someone getting out of the shower…

One of our good referral agents, Steve Matthews of Maximum One Realty Greater Atlanta, shows us what he does when he arrives at a property and then once he’s inside. Watch the videos below-

Thanks Steve for your realtor tips, we truly appreciate them. For more information on properties in the Atlanta area, contact Steve at
Steve Matthews
Maximum One Realty Greater Atlanta
Cell: 404.786.2184
Fax: 404.551.5471
www.eSignatureHome.com
SOLD@eSignatureHome.com

When you are working in a subdivison, you have people coming in to preview properties all the time. To be safe, you need to get them to register with you and get additional information about the client such as a copy of their drivers license and also, get their car tag information. You should immediately fax that information to your office, so they are aware of who you are showing homes to. This is an added safety measure and a good thing for your office to have, heaven forbid, if anything should happen. If they are a reputable client, they will understand your ‘company’s’ procedure on your safety.

Check out this video from Debbie Jones, with E. S. Johnson Real Estate about the safety things she and her agents do while in their subdivison:

If you have good, safety tips to share, please respond to beth @ realtorsafety911.com and I’ll be happy to share your tips on safety along with your information.

Remember, Your Personal Safety Is Up To YOU!

Courtesy of Arizona Association of Realtors www.aaronline.com

The following scenarios are typical REALTOR® situations. Think about what would be your normal response, what possible dangers are indicated, and what you could do better to lessen the risks. Find the answers suggested by NAR at the end.

Scenario #1: Open House
You are hosting an open house by yourself on a winter day. As the sun is setting and you are locking up, a nicely dressed man pulls into the drive and quickly hops out of his car. He apologizes for coming so late and says that he is very glad to have arrived before you left. He begs you to let him see the property as he has wanted to buy this style of home in this neighborhood for some time now. You had very few prospects visit the open house, so you would hate to miss this opportunity. What do you do?

Scenario #2: Listing Presentation
You receive a phone call from a man who says he is interviewing REALTORS® to sell his lakeside vacation home. You can hear children laughing in the background and he apologizes for all the racket his kids are making. He wants to hear your listing presentation and get your ideas about a good asking price, so he asks you to meet him at the property this evening at 8:00. What do you do?

Scenario #3: Showing a Property
On your first day with this prospect, you showed him three homes, and he acted like a typical buyer, asking all the expected questions and looking carefully at each home. On this occasion, it is a cold day and he offers to drive you since his car is already warmed up. He mentions that he would really like to see a home with a basement bedroom for his teenage son so he can play his music as loud as he likes. You know a house that’s fits his needs perfectly so you take him there to show him the nicely finished basement with recreation room, bedroom, and full bath. What would you do?

Scenario #4: Answering Calls
You get a cold call from a prospect who says he is about to take a new job in the area and he would like to look at some houses in a particular neighborhood his future boss recommended. He says that he’s open to other suggestions, and he asks where you live and what your neighborhood is like. Because he’ll need to move quickly, he wants to look at homes that are already vacant. After chatting about the kind of house he is looking for, he says he’s looking forward to working with you and asks if you’re as cute in person as your photo in the ad. He asks, with a friendly chuckle, if you’re still “on the market” or has a lucky guy already snapped you up. He closes by saying he’d like to start his search at a particular house in the ad, first thing tomorrow morning, and asks for directions so he can meet you there. How do you respond?

Scenario 5: Going to Closings
As you are about to leave a closing, you see three men loitering in the parking lot. When you get in your car, they also get into their car, and they pull out behind you as you leave. How would you react?

Answers to the Safety Scenarios

Scenario 1: Open House
Open houses are especially dangerous as they expose you to strangers, often while alone, with limited opportunity to pre-qualify the prospect or verify his identity.

• Extra care should be taken at the end of the day when predators may think you are more likely to be alone. There are enough red flags here to warrant not going back into the house with him.
• Don’t let his nice clothes influence your behavior.
• Try to arrange for a showing later, after a meeting at the office where you can obtain and verify his identification.
• If you do choose to let him see the house, do not follow him in—wait for him in the doorway (or in your car) so you can easily escape if necessary.
• When he is finished looking, answer any questions he has, give him your card and a blank prospect card, and ask him to drop off or mail in his information.

Scenario 2: Listing Presentation
Any time you are meeting a stranger alone, whether it’s for a showing or a listing presentation, there is a potential for danger.

• Don’t make assumptions. There could be any reasons for the sound of children; he could be calling from a pay phone in a restaurant with a noisy play area. Sometimes violent predators do have wives and kids at home.
• First verify that he is actually the owner of the property by checking tax logs.
• Try to set up a preliminary meeting in your office so that you can record his information before going to the property.
• Even if you decide it is safe to go, make sure that while you’re at the property, you call in to the office regularly.

Scenario 3:Scenario #3: Showing a Property
Don’t let the fact that he acted normally on other showings cause you to let your guard down. Criminals may try to gain your confidence at first as they size you up.

• Unless you know them personally, never ride with a client; drive your own car and park so you can get away easily if you need to. Park in the street, not in the driveway where you can be blocked in.
• Even when the remote areas of the house are the best features, resist the urge to lead a prospect into a basement or a back bedroom where you can be trapped. Let them explore those areas on their own or, at most, follow them only as far as the doorway so they cannot block your exit.
• Always have an escape route planned, and make sure exit doors are unlocked (or even better, left open even on cold days).

Scenario 4: Answering Calls
Always avoid giving out personal information to prospects. Do not put your home phone number on your card, and never give out your personal address.

• Be sure that your photo in your marketing materials presents a professional image. Glamour shots can attract the wrong kind of attention. Predators have been known to use agent photos in ads to choose victims.
• What might seem like friendly banter in a social setting can be highly inappropriate in a business relationship. Questions about marital status should raise a red flag. Let him know, politely, that it’s your policy to never discuss your personal life with prospects.
• Make sure the prospect is who he says he is by getting the number of his employer so you can verify his story.
• Asking to see only vacant properties is another warning sign…is he trying to make sure you’ll be alone?
• Always insist that first meetings take place in your office, and have him fill out a prospect information form. Let him see that other people in your office know where you are going, with whom you are going, and when you’ll be back.
• Trust your instincts. If the prospect’s behavior is too out-of-line, walk away. No commission is worth compromising your safety. With this prospect, telling him that you are too busy now and referring him to another colleague might be a good test of whether he is looking for a new home or targeting you for harassment or worse. If it becomes clear that he is not really looking for a home, communicate your experience with him to other agents in your area.

Scenario 5: Going to Closings
You may have been targeted by criminals because they think you will be carrying a large sum of money.

• If you see something that makes you nervous, go back into the office until you feel it is safe to leave, or ask to be escorted to your car.
• You can check to see if someone is following you, not by racing away, but by taking an unusual route (such as circling a block).
• If it is clear that you are being followed, drive directly to a police station.

Your Personal Safety is up to You!

I have been working on my Realtor Safety 911 blog for about three and a half months. It has been fun and I’ve totally enjoyed the information that I have been able to obtain, learn from and put out there for my realtor family and friends. But I need your help! What I would love is to get some insight from you - the ones with the expertise. You are out there every day hitting the streets, getting the listings, showing and selling the properties, working with buyers and sellers. You have the necessary information to stay safe while doing all that you do in your real estate career. I would love it if you would share your safety tips with me so I could share them with my realtor family and friends.

 The real estate profession is a scary one - you meet and deal with complete strangers every day. You get your necessary identification of your client up front but what other things do you do to stay safe? I would love to hear from you.

My email address is beth @ realtorsafety911.com. I will be happy to post you safety tips along with your information and I will add your site to my blogroll.  I truly appreciate your help and look forward to providing good, safety tips to you all.

 Beth - Realtor Safety 911

Personal Safety For Realtors-Stay Ahead Of The Predators/Perpetrators

Posted on February 20, 2008 Courtesy of Cheryl Watterson, www.selfdefensewithanattitude.com

Unfortunately, there are a few sick people out there looking for an easy victim. What industry makes their job easy? The real estate industry for one. For the most part, real estate professionals are independent agents –predominantly women - who work alone and will jump at the opportunity to get a new prospect – especially in these crazy times. Read the rest of this entry »

Agent Safety Tips from Peter Den Boer, Prudential Georgia Realty

Being a male Real Estate agent, I have not run into the same types of safety issues that many female realtor friends do. However, safety is still a real concern.

I am aware that Real Estate agents are targets for many crimes, some very serious and we do seem to attract our fair share of strange customers. Common sense is the best defense against most problems. I make sure that I follow some basic safety tips.

I make sure my cell phone has an entry marked ICE. This stands for In Case of Emergency. If you have not done this simple step, please do. If you are found incapacitated for some reason, ie a car accident, health problems, etc, one of the first things a police officer will do is check your cell phone for this entry. It allows him to contact the person that you have selected for an emergency.

I also let the front desk at our office know that I will be out showing property. This way they will know that I am with clients. I have several friends in the business that will call me when they are leery of meeting a client and they will ask me to go with them to show a home. I pretend to be a Realtor that is previewing the home. I stay around until the other agent feels comfortable or until their client leaves.

Also, I have been asked by other agents to call them at a certain time when they are meeting new clients for the first time. I will call them and ask if they are all right. Usually this call is made after the agent and client have been together for about 15-30 minutes. At this point, most agents will know if they are comfortable with the client or not.

I try to always park at the curb when showing homes for two reasons. The first is that it gives my clients a good look at the curb appeal of the home. Second, I cannot easily be blocked in by another car.

At open houses, I try to remain within earshot of potential buyers but never far from an outside door. Ladies, please, please, please don’t walk in front of a potential buyer and enter a room first. Let them go first. This will allow you clear passage to the door. If they follow you into a room or the basement, they might be able to block your exit.

Make sure your office has a policy about safety. We do at Prudential. We have a code word that if we call in to the office and use this code word, the answering person immediately asks if they should send the police. This is a good strategy plan for your office.

And as always, keep your cell phone charged up and ready to go. A 911 call and announcing that you have 911 on the line will go a long way to deterring a potential issue.

Peter den Boer, Prudential Georgia Realty, C 770 713 1545 www.denboerhomes.com