[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]According to a study conducted by the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR), 38% of real estate professionals have feared for their personal safety. And you thought being a realtor is all about the perks?
2020 REALTOR Safety Survey says that 5% of real estate agents have been a victim of crime, and ⅓ have felt fear while at work. There are several reports of realtors being assaulted, raped, and even murdered during the job.
The sole reason for all these horrific stats is that realtors are alone most of the time. Being a realtor is all about meeting new people daily, holding open houses, and sharing information online. A lone worker has to be vigilant at all times to avoid any inconveniences.
September is Realtor Safety Month, and it is all about addressing the safety concerns and reducing the number of safety incidents that occur in the industry, so every agent comes home safely to his or her family every night.
If you are a realtor yourself, traveling alone to vacant properties with strangers, visiting unsafe neighborhoods, or showing a property during evening hours is all part of your daily routine.
Have you ever considered doing something about personal safety? If not, here are the top real estate agent safety tips that can potentially save your life in a nasty situation:
Real Estate Agent Safety Tips
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Realtor Safety Products
Despite all the efforts, you can get into a life-threatening situation. It might be possible that there’s no way to run or escape. You might have self-defense items with you, but it becomes difficult to use your senses under such circumstances. The adrenaline rush of your life and no muscle memory makes many realtor safety products useless.
The best possible remedy is to carry the Silent Beacon personal realtor’s safety device with you wherever you go. It is a wearable personal safety device with a free safety app that tracks your real-time location.
Suppose you are meeting a client in an unfamiliar situation. Everything’s going smoothly until the client starts acting up and tries to harass you. You can quickly press the Silent Beacon™ Panic Button, and it will send a distress call to any family, friends, or emergency services you have chosen, along with your current GPS location.
The Silent Beacon realtor safety app is one of the most trusted apps specifically designed for people working alone. It promises to contact all the emergency contacts within 5 seconds! Make sure you have set up all the necessary alerts beforehand.
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Let The Client Walk Ahead of You
Suppose you are showing a bedroom with only one exit. If you lead the client, you might find yourself deep inside the room, giving the client an edge if he/she turns out to be bad. You can politely ask them to lead by gesturing them to go ahead of you.
Avoid getting into any place that does not have more than one exit, like door-less basements, walk-in closets, laundry rooms, and bathrooms. Make sure you determine at least two “escape” routes in case of an emergency.
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Be Vigilant During Open Houses
Open houses have caused murders, violent robberies, and kidnappings of many innocent real estate agents.
One precautionary measure is never to hold an open house alone—partner with another agent or someone you trust to help you out. You can team up with a colleague for initial meetings and showings, door-knocking, and anywhere else you might meet new people at an unfamiliar place.
Another reason why most of the atrocities happen is that agents assume everyone has left the premises at the end of an open house. Do you have someone at the gate to keep a record of everyone who left? Probably not. Check all of the rooms, attic, basement, and backyard prior to locking the doors. Keep your Silent Beacon realtor safety products nearby while doing this.
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Don’t Advertise a Listing As Vacant
Never publicly announce that the home is vacant. It’s like setting up a stage for the bad people. You can just advertise the listing without mentioning anything about the vacancy or whatsoever.
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Always Be Cautious
Run a background check on both sellers and prospective buyers. Take a tour of the property before you show it to a buyer. Make yourself familiar with all the exits.
Always park your car in front of the property rather than in the driveway when meeting with a potential buyer.
Meet a new prospective buyer in your office first. Have an office policy that requires potential clients to submit a photo ID. It might be a harsh policy, but it minimizes the chances of a mishap.
Watch for suspicious cars, loiterers, or anyone who may be following you.
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