The reason why a homeowner should use a realtor is the realtor is much more savvy in dealing with their clients. They screen their clients, get information and they do not take chances. There are office safety procedures to follow; meet the client(s) at the office, get their personal information, let others in the office meet the client(s). You should always follow your office safety procedures, it will save your life.
We are so sorry about what happened to Eugenia “Jeanne” Calle, if she only had some type of procedure in order to screen would be purchasers, she might not have gotten in this situation.
Again, office safety procedures are there to protect you. If a client does not want to follow the procedures, ie give you his identification, meet you and others in the office, then you should just write them off - so you don’t end up like Ms. Calle, bless her soul. Read the rest of this entry »
This doesn’t have to do with Realtor Safety while conducting your business, but this does have to do with keeping yourself and your home safe, so in a way, it does. Definitely read on-Courtesy of Cheryl Watterson
Home Security 911
Protecting Your Car Can Ultimately Prevent A Home Burglary
Does that statement arouse your curiosity? A lot of criminals aren’t smart enough to get a job and work for a living, but they are smart enough to figure out that if there is a vehicle with South Bend, Indiana license plates sitting in front of the Marriott Hotel in Indianapolis - then maybe nobody is home in South Bend. Read the rest of this entry »
There is a price reduction on a Sprint phone which has been certified as compatible with the real-time tracking & emergency distress technology. The phone is the i670 by Motorola, which normally retails for $179.99, is now on sale for $29.99 with a 2 year contract. The price breakdown is $1.25 a month. This device can bring you TrekServ tracking and emergency distress for $16.25 a month, not including your communication package.
Realtors are in one of the most dangerous high-risk professions and every day they meet with strangers, taking them out in their cars and driving them all over town showing properties. But what happens when something goes wrong? How can you protect yourself? What if you cannot protect yourself, how would anyone know where you are?
There is a new technology that has just been introduced that solves that problem. This new technology tracks the realtor at all times using their cell phone. A small application is installed on the realtor’s cell phone and one button can be designated as the one that activates an emergency beacon. Help can be easily and quickly summoned to an exact location. Read the rest of this entry »
Personal Safety Issues of Prime Concern to Realtors
Personal Safety
Sometimes my mother’s intuitions scare me. They always seem to come true. Not long ago she started talking to me about my Realtor sister, Shela, not taking proper safety precautions when she shows property or hosts an open house. I rolled my eyes and thought Mom was being overly protective or watching too much television; but as it turns out, she was absolutely right to worry. Sure enough, less than 3 weeks after our discussion, I read two news alerts in the same week about Florida Realtors being beaten up, shot at, and robbed while on a listing call. A week later I read yet another report of violence that took place at an open house. It can be downright scary when you think about it, and I don’t mean to alarm anyone unnecessarily; but, truth be known, you could have a total psycho in your car and never even know it! I mean who looked more normal than Ted Bundy for Pete’s sake, and we all know how that turned out! I hope everyone has a plan of action if you ever find yourself in a dangerous situation. If you don’t have plan, make one and put it in place immediately.
According to a recent Washington Association of Realtors press release, 21 real estate agents met violent deaths on the job last year. Selling real estate is a high-risk profession no matter what state you live in. As mobile professionals, Realtors frequently meet with people about whom they know little, and enter properties that could be sheltering an attacker. Although attacks aren’t limited to females, there is no question that women Realtors are more vulnerable.
So, everyone, please be careful. Follow basic safety precautions while you’re on the job. I’m sure the NAR, FAR and RAMC all have safety tips on their Web Sites, and since you’re members, you can easily access that information. Stay safe :]
To all my Realtor Friends, I got this email today from Cheryl Watterson - Self Defense with an Attitude and she has some very good safety information that we all need to check out on carjacking. As we go out into our daily real estate business, we must stay very aware of what is going on and aware of our surroundings. One of the things I started doing, when I go out to make marketing calls, is to lock the car door immediately once I got into my car and never, ever just sit there making notes or whatever. I start driving right away. You never know if someone will come up and tap on your window and then things could go wrong, right in the Kroger parking lot. Read on and please, share with me and Cheryl, your thoughts on this article, I think it is fabulous and I definitely will take heed of all the information she has presented to us.
From: cwatterso@comcast.net [mailto:cwatterso@comcast.net]
Sent: Tuesday, October 14, 2008 6:59 PM
To: beth@realtorsafety911.com
Subject: Carjacking Safety Tips-Self-Defense with an Attitude
Beth, you will be getting this email but I wanted to send it to let you know this is an important criminal problem in a lot of areas. With our changing economy, more and more people are going to be out of work and some may be desperate enough to rob or carjack individuals. Both men and women need to be aware and alert 24/7 when they are on the road and follow the carjacking tips. Read the rest of this entry »
-Never open the door to anyone unless an appointment was scheduled first or unless they use their lockbox key (ie a woman was approached by a man who claimed to be an agent, she let him in to preview her home and he raped her)
-Keep valuables locked up or in a secure place, including prescription drugs (’prospective’ buyers will go through a seller’s medicine cabinets and drawers)
-Wear clothing with pockets so you can always have your keys with you
-Never carry large amounts of cash or credit cards
-After an open house or standard showing, make sure all doors and windows are locked as thieves will use open houses to look for valuables and possible points of entry, then return after the agent leaves
Just a couple of safety tips for your seller which they probably already know or do but when you mention them to your sellers, they will appreciate you for it.
Remember, Your Personal Safety Is Up To YOU! and you can help your sellers too
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 »
Daily Record (Rochester, NY), September 25, 2007 by Danielle Derringer
Real estate agents are often in situations that call for them to be alone, unprotected and surrounded by people they don’t know.
According to local and national organizations, Realtor safety is a top priority. Earlier this month, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) conducted its fifth annual Realtor Safety Week. According to NAR, the week was implemented to recognize what Realtors are doing to stay safe and continue safety education. Read the rest of this entry »
Sid Cameron went well beyond his ‘call of duty’ to bring together some very good and thorough information that should definitely be an ‘eye opener’. These acts of violence against realtors have happened to others, doing the same type of real estate transactions as you. Please don’t ever think that it cannot or will not happen to you. Always be on guard and aware of what is going on - Your life could depend on it!
If you’re not from St. Louis (or haven’t read the news lately) there were two real estate agents robbed at open houses in the St Louis area last week. One had their car stolen; the other was kidnapped at gun point where he was forced to take money out of an ATM. A suspect was apprehended yesterday. Now, it’s easy to shrug that off and say, “It was a one time occurrence,” or, “It was in a different town; I’m safe where I’m at.” However before you do, I would encourage you to read the rest of this article.
Below your will find some very good Safety Information for the Real Estate Professional. Sometimes we tend to forget, in our busy lives, to remember our own personal safety. We have so much going on but your personal safety should be your number 1 priority. When you are planning a showing, setting up an open house, working late on a contract, etc, always have your options available. Know what you are going to do so you don’t have to think about what you are going to do. Read the rest of this entry »
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.
We have all got to be careful when we are setting up a showing. We must adhere to a few basic procedures. In this day and time, you can never be too safe. I mentioned in an earlier post about the 71 year old agent in Wisconsin, who was brutally murdered by a craze-O, you just never know, so don’t take chances. Do the right thing and following procedures. They could save your life!
When an ex-con kills a 71 year old REALTOR® in Wisconsin just because her innocent question made him mad, it’s no wonder St. Paul real estate agents are taking more safety precautions. Read the story here.
Safety tips used by agents are becoming more common:
Do not show vacant properties alone unless you know your customers. This applies to both men and women as men can be overpowered as well. A male California real estate agent was kidnapped at gunpoint to get his electronic key to open listed houses with the electronic lock boxes. When I meet a customer for the first time at a home, I bring a trusted colleague or my husband to stay in the car in case I don’t return.
Record the names, number, description and license number of a customer you are meeting at a home for the first time. I call these details into my broker’s voicemail. If someone accosts me, there is at least a modicum of information for the police to use to get the perpetrator back!
Carry my cell phone into the house with me and have 911 programmed at the touch of a button.
Never have an open house alone. The decrease in new buyer clients obtained through open houses and the increase in crime associated with opens is the basis for many St. Paul agents discontinuing the practice.
Let customers precede you into a house and the rooms in the house. Personally, I’d never be able to outrun a perpetrator. If my gut suspects something, I’m not going in! I would rather be alive and wrong while I lose a future client than dead because I didn’t want to lose that commission!
Carry some form of pepper spray or mace in my pocket. Good idea, but my pockets are already full of electronic key, car keys, MLS listing sheets, my cheat sheet of combinations for the tour, business cards, phone, daily planner, and sometimes a huge flashlight. I don’t think there’s room for that pepper spray. I think I’ll whack the perpetrator with the flashlight!
One of the REALTOR® safety tips is to pay attention to exits. Personally, I generalize that to PAY ATTENTION PERIOD!
Don’t assume women customers are safer than men. Frankly, I think women fight meaner and dirtier than men and wouldn’t care to be the victim of either! Besides, there may be a partner waiting by the scheduled house.
There always a struggle between leaving the front door unlocked during a showing (easy exit when escaping or easy entrance for bad guys) or not. Because of discrimination laws, an agent cannot lock the front door while showing a house in one neighborhood and leave it open in another. That can be perceived as discriminatory or giving a message about the neighborhood to the client. Some agents choose to leave the key in the front door so they don’t forget and lock it in the house. Others choose to lock the door. There are pros and cons to each system.
Leaving a proposed schedule and the contact info for who you are meeting with a family member or colleague is wise. Checking in after the showings are finished is a good policy. When there is no check-in your trusted person knows when to call the police.
The last point on my proposed safety procedures list has a funny story attached to it. Early in my career cell phones were not common (I know I’m older than dirt!) but my broker’s policy was that ALL of his agents would check in by phone after their open houses. My open house was in a vacant HUD home where I spent the afternoon killing mice with a broom. My pre-occupation with getting some shopping done on the way home distracted me from making the prescribed check-in call. When I finally remembered to stop at a pay phone, my husband informed me I had been given 15 more minutes and the two of them were going to call the cops! That was the last time I “forgot” to check in when done with my St. Paul real estate business! I can’t imagine my embarrassment if I had been pulled over by the cops as a “missing person”!
Courtesy of warealtor.org - Click here to get the pdf version of this entire safety guide - WARealtor.org Safety Guide
Fight or Flight? Be Aware of your Options!
Yell “fire” to get attention
Run and call 911 when you can
Take a self-defense training course/class
If you strike, mean it
When faced with danger, trust yourself and stay as calm as possible. Think rationally and evaluate your options. There is no one right way to respond to a confrontation, because each is different. The response depends on the circumstances: location of the attack, your personal resources, the characteristics of the assailant and the presence of weapons. There are many strategies that are effective, but you must rely on your own judgment to choose the best one:
No resistance - Not resisting may be the proper choice in a situation. An attacker with a gun or a knife may put you in a situation where you think it is safer to do what he/she says. If someone tries to rob you - give up your property - don’t give up your life.
Stalling for time - Appear to go along with the attacker. This may give you time to assess the situation. When his/her guard is down, try to escape.
Distraction and then flight - Obviously you should try to get away - but whether you can get away depends on your shoes, your clothing, your physical stamina, the terrain and how close your predator is.
Verbal assertiveness - If someone is coming toward you, hold out your hands in front of you and yell, “Stop” or “Stay Back!” When interviewed, rapists said they’d leave a woman alone if she yelled or showed that she was not afraid to fight back.
Physical resistance - If you decide to respond physically, remember that your first priority is to get away. Act quickly and decisively to throw the attacker off guard while you escape.
Make a conscious effort to get an accurate description of your attacker(s). Even the smallest details may give authorities a clue to finding the suspect.
The authors of A Woman’s Guide to Personal Safety say that you should tell authorities everything that occurred and what was said during the incident, including the things that may seem unimportant.
A real estate agent from Wisconsin was found murdered just a couple of days ago. She was showing property to a man and supposedly said something that set him off and he strangled her and beat her with a fireplace poker. Can you believe that!?! He set fire to the house and it was determined that she was still alive in the house when he did this. This poor lady was out doing an honest days work, showing property to a prospective client, she says something and he doesn’t like it and bam, she’s dead! I didn’t want to put the whole story here so if you want to read it, you can go to Read the Story
Today an agent has to be so careful. Real Estate is not like getting up in the morning, going to a 8 to 5 job and then going home. The days are long and filled and you may get a call to show property on the spur of the moment. But don’t let the thought of a big sale cloud your personal safety. Do what you must do to qualify that prospective client. Meet them at the office, get their information and ID, let others in your office meet them. Have someone with you to show the property if you don’t feel comfortable.
Be safe, and know that your personal safety is up to you!
This form should be filled out by an agent when they are showing property and left with the receptionist. Many agents also print out an additional ’show list’ and attach the form to it. The front office will appreciate having this information if they should need to contact you. Below is an example of the form or you can go to: ReatorSafetyWeek and scroll to the bottom to the forms.
AGENT ITINERARY FORM
AGENT: ___________________DATE:_______________
CUSTOMER/CLIENT NAME(S): _____________________
Personal Identification Form attached___________________
Personal Identification Form already on file with ____________
ANTICIPATED TIME OF RETURN TO OFFICE: ___ AM ___ PM
MY CONTACT PHONE WHILE SHOWING PROPERTY:________________
When you are planning your open house, this is a good thing to do - call the local police department and ask them to have a squad car drive by during your open-house hours.
R.A.D.’s Instructional Objective: “To develop and enhance the options of self defense, so they may become viable considerations to the woman who is attacked.” A Self Defense course is a definite must for every women and man who is in real estate. Most of the time, your clients are wonderful people but as we all know, real estate has its scary individuals who prey on the lone realtor. Be aware - Your Personal Safety is up to YOU!
Courtesy of Cheryl Watterson, Self Defense with an Attitude
A R.A.D. Self-Defense Class starts tonight in Elkhart, Indiana. I will be attending this 4-week class, 3 hours per night and soaking up everything I can. After each class, I will blog about what I learn that night. RAD has such a great reputation for being a class designed around self-defense awareness techniques that are highly effective and simple enough for women of all ages to learn. In fact, these awareness techniques could just save your life!
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 »
Realtor Safety At Open Houses: A Warning That Could Save Your Life As reported by John Harper “East Bay Rapist Arrested” nearly a year ago, ex convict Daniel Duran was attempting to assault Realtors at open houses in the Dublin-San Ramon-Pleasanton areas. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident as described by the following video about similar activity in the Cincinnati, Ohio area.Warning: Do not get caught in the “Earthquake Syndrome.” Even though we, here in Northern California know we are in earthquake country, very few take precautions and prepare a plan ahead of time.
Watch the video then please consider utilizing any or all of the security tips provided below. Be safe Not sorry!<Remember, Your Personal Safety is up to YOU!
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