A key, and often overlooked, way to protect yourself is to trust your intuition. “We have instincts, but then we tell ourselves, ‘I’m being foolish,’” For example, if you see someone sitting in a van outside the property you’re showing, you should be able to come up with some plausible guesses—it’s the neighbor’s exterminator—as to what the person is doing in the area, he says. When you can’t, be especially vigilant.
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 »
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 »
As a former agent and currently a safety trainer specializing in agents, I always include education on “safety tools.”
I teach realtors how to be aware, how to screen clients, creating a safety plan, how to host a safe open house, safe showing techniques, etc., but my inclusion of safety tool training is just as important.
Many agents choose to carry a defense spray. This is the most popular choice. Know that all sprays are not created equally. Know what you are carrying. Know the difference between pepper spray, mace and tear gas. Know what they will and won’t do.
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 »
Every agent, seasoned and experienced or brand new, should be taking a safety course and there should be refresher courses taken also. You have got to be aware of what is going on while you are conducting your business of real estate. Too many times realtors get relaxed in their day to day business life. Life is good and the guard is down. But you have got to stay aware at all times. Here is a video on just what you can expect in a Realtor Safety Course. This one is ‘hands on’ as a safety course should be. There should be the class room information given but the ‘hands on’ is what is important. You must be able to go through an actual session of what could happen and how you need to respond.
If you take a course on safety, God Bless You. If you have never taken a course on safety, then now should be the time to think about doing so. It just might save your life. Remember, Your personal Safety Is Up To YOU!!!
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.
As a REALTOR®, you spend a great deal of time in your car. These tips may help protect you from dangerous situations on the road or while waiting in your car. Read the rest of this entry »
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 »
#10 - If you are showing several properties, phone your office occasionally to check in, often, just to let them know that all is okay. If you’re suspicious or fearful of someone, use these calls as a reason to return to the office immediately – (BE CREATIVE)
#9 - Take a self defense course, through your local police department, private business or individual or through your local board of realtors. Knowing how to defend yourself - using whatever self-protection devise you have, this will ultimately save your life, if need be
#8 - Drive separate cars, when possible, if not, make sure that you drive But never let yourself get blocked in by another vehicle(s)
#7 - Limit the amount of personal information that you share about yourself to your client, until you get to know them a little better, (because you do want them to ‘know you, like you and trust you’) but then be selective
#6 - Ask a friend to join you when showing property with a client that makes you feel uneasy. Pre-plan your escape routes from each level of a home, before you show it
#5 - Have and Be Prepared to Use Safety Products – carry a personal alarm, pepper spray, etc
#4 - Always carry your cell phone, charged and programmed to 911 on speed dial. Use it when danger first appears. Do not wait
#3 - Always let your office know where you are, your schedule and who you are meeting when going to a property
#2 - Meet the prospective client at your office for the first time; never ever at a vacant property, and ask them to fill out the client identification form. Verify the client’s identity, photocopy driver’s license, obtain the car make and license number
And Beth’s # 1 Realtor Safety Tip…
#1 - Pay attention to your intuition - Never put yourself at risk to avoid social awkwardness. You have every right to be cautious
Remember, Your Personal Safety Depends On YOU!
When something bad happens in the real estate community, everyone tightens up on their personal safety and security. When things are going well, we stop thinking about it. You have got to be thinking and planning for your Personal Safety and Security ALL THE TIME! Make it part of your day to day business planning.
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.
Take 2 Seconds when you arrive at your destination to check out potential dangers -
-Is there any questionable activity in the area?
-Are you parked in a well lit, visible location?
-Can you be blocked in the driveway by a prospect’s vehicle?
Be on guard at all times. Make safety your first priority. Be aware of your surroundings and who you are meeting with so you can make your best decision if anything should happen. Always choose Flight over Fight. Your primary goal in any threatening situation is to escape from immediate danger and call for help!
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!
Cheryl Watterson has a blog called www.selfdefensewithanattitude.com,where she discusses self defense, personal safety and personal security. I get a lot of good information from her site and pass along to family and friends.
Today she and her business associate put on a Realtor Personal Safety Awareness class for one of the largest Century 21 offices in Northern Indiana and the turn out was Great! Read below.
On Wednesday my business associate from ADT Security and I gave a Realtor Personal & Home SecuritySafety Awareness Program to one of the largest Century 21 offices in Northern Indiana. Our program provided targeted personal safety and home security strategies that each agent can use on a daily basis. We believe that personal security starts in the home. Therefore, your home must be a safe haven whether you or family members are home or away.
Experts agree that the single most important step towards ensuring an individual’s total personal security is to make the decision to refuse to be a victim. That means you must have an overall personal safety plan or strategy in place before you need it and be able to aggressively defend yourself if attacked.
Our goal is to provide a program of personal safety and security, self-awareness, and empowerment that will enable real estate agents to protect themselves and not become a victim of an attack by a perpetrator, an unruly prospect, or customer.
We all need to make personal safety and security a proactive habit 24/7. We can then ensure we’re one step ahead of a predator who preys on defenseless women.
Remember, Stay Aware…Stay Alert…Stay Alive!
Below is information that can help you in your day to day business of staying safe in our unsafe world!
Realtor Tips For Staying Safe On The Job
-Always be aware of your surroundings.
-Develop a habit of being alert.
-Trust your instincts – it could just save your life.
-When you enter a home, look for other entry/exit doors.
-Don’t host an open house by yourself.
-Dress conservatively and don’t wear expensive jewelry or flashy clothing.
-Only list office and cell phone numbers on business cards – noy your home number or home address.
-Stay in touch with your office – always carry a cell phone or voice pager.
-Be sure your cell phone is fully charged should you sit at an empty/new construction open house.
-Meet prospects at your office.
-Always take your own car when showing a property and have prospects follow in their car.
-Don’t go into the basement or confined areas with prospect/s.Try to keep your back closest to the exit door.
-Let potential buyers explore the home by themselves – keep some distance.
-Let someone else know your whereabouts and with whom you have an appointment with.
-Use sign-in sheets and have prospects show ID.If in doubt when meeting a prospect, state that it is your company’s policy to ask for identification.
-Never show a property alone at night.
-Never advertise a property as vacant.
-Report any suspicious experience to police.
-Offices should have a coded distress signal that is obvious to the office but not the prospect.
-Consider taking a personal safety/self-defense awareness class.
-Carry personal protection such as pepper spray, mace, a personal alarm or a C2 Taser.
Cheryl Watterson Linda Sokol
Personal Security Solutions ADT Security
(574) 514-1214-Cell (574) 220-0349-Cell
Be sure to visit the following sites for additional tips on realtors staying safe:
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.
The Rape Aggression Defense System is a program of realistic self-defense tactics and techniques for women. The R.A.D. System is a comprehensive, women-only course that begins with awareness, prevention, risk reduction and risk avoidance, while progressing on to the basics of hands-on defense training. R.A.D. is not a Martial Arts program. The courses are taught by nationally certified R.A.D. Instructors and provide each student with a workload/reference manual. This manual outlines the entire Physical Defense Program for reference and continuous personal growth, and is the key to our free lifetime return and practice policy for R.A.D. graduates.
There is a R.A.D. Self-Defense class starting on March 4, 2008 in Elkhart, Indiana through the Elkhart County Sheriff’s Department. I have signed up to take the 4-week class from 6:00-9:00 p.m. and will write a post after each class session. I am looking forward to learning the program’s self-defense tactics and techniques.
The initiative we take in our personal protection education will help us to recognize, defuse, and escape life threatening situations and not become a victim. Always being aware of your surroundings and knowing what to do in an attack situation can give you a tremendous sense of empowerment.
Be proactive with your personal safety and check with the local police department on self-defense or R.A.D. classes offered in your community. Arm yourself with the knowledge and tactics of how to protect and defend yourself. It may save your life someday!
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 »
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