REALTOR® Safety – learn about it this month, practice it year round
The average workday for a REALTOR® can be anything but average when it comes to potentially dangerous situations.
Think about it: you lead strangers around unknown properties as a matter of course…you advertise that you will be alone in a vacant home on a Saturday afternoon…you offer rides to people you hardly know…you office alone or in a building where other people may sometimes be scarce.
These are situations you probably take for granted – it’s likely that few real estate professionals think about the potential dangers they face everyday. Taking steps to ensure your safety isn’t difficult – and it’s one of the most important things you can do for yourself in the coming year and beyond.
Start in September with REALTOR® Safety Month…
Knowledge. Awareness. Empowerment. These are the core components of REALTOR® safety. They also comprise the theme of NAR’s efforts to raise awareness about safety for all REALTOR® members.
Every September, NAR highlights REALTOR® safety – but focusing on the best ways to ensure your personal safety is a commitment you must make all year long.
After all, these days “safety” can mean much more than just making sure you avoid bodily harm. You need to stay safe at home, in the office, on the Internet, and in your marketing efforts. You can even have an impact on the safety of your clients.
Tips and tricks for staying safe
For many safety tips, read through this issue of the Aurora Outlook. Then visit www.REALTOR.org/Safety for more information as well as handouts, Webinars, online safety courses and other resources you can use to revamp your safety plan.
Tips for staying safe in all facets of your business
For a REALTOR®, safety on the job extends to all reaches of business life: in the office, at open houses, in the car, while on the phone, while showing property. It’s also important to consider when producing marketing materials, when setting up your website, and when you work at home. And now, with today’s increasing technology, identity theft is also a safety concern. Here are some ways you can stay safe in all facets of your job.
Choose flight over fight. While every REALTOR® should take a basic self-defense course, the primary goal in any threatening situation is to escape from immediate danger and call for help.
Rely on your mobile phone. Always carry a charged mobile phone. Clip your phone on and make it part of your everyday apparel for immediate accessibility. Pre-program important numbers into your cell phone, including your office, your roadside assistance service or garage, and even 911.
Do an initial walk-through with escape in mind. Upon entering an open house property for the first time, check each room and determine at least two “escape” routes. Make sure all deadbolt locks are unlocked for easy access to the outside.
Stay in touch. Always let someone know where you are going; leave the name and phone number of the client you are meeting and schedule a time for your office to call you to check in.
Wear your REALTOR® ID. Always wear visible company identification such as a badge. It is also best to drive a vehicle clearly marked with your company name. These will be invaluable for identification if you need to get assistance.
Check out your clients. When you have a new client, ask him/her to stop by your office and complete a Prospect Identification Form. Also, photocopy his or her driver’s license and retain this information at your office. Be certain to properly discard this personal information when you no longer need it.
Don’t walk ahead of a prospect. When showing a home, always have your prospects walk in front of you. Don’t lead them, but rather, direct them from a position slightly behind them.
Don’t dial and drive. If you must use your cell phone while driving, use a hands-free model and learn to operate your phone without looking at it—you should practice this before getting behind the wheel. Don’t dial while driving.
Don’t get caught by a “phisher”. Don’t respond to e-mails requesting personal or private information such as passwords, credit card numbers or bank account numbers. Even if a message appears to be from your bank or a trusted vendor, credible companies never request private information this way.
Shield your computer from e-mail viruses. Never open an attachment from someone you don’t know, and, if you receive a strange or impersonal-sounding message from a familiar address, check with that person to make sure that they really sent it.
Be skeptical of e-mail requests for information. Before you act on an e-mail request, check a list of the latest e-mail scams on the Federal Trade Commission’s Web site at http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/menu-internet.htm.
Prevent identity theft. Contact the fraud department of any of the three consumer reporting companies— Equifax, Experian and Trans Union—to place a fraud alert on your credit report. The fraud alert automatically lets credit card companies and other creditors know they must contact you before opening any new accounts or making any changes to your existing accounts.
Protect your clients. Remind them that strangers will be walking through their home during showings or open houses. Tell them to hide any valuables in a safe place; remove keys, credit cards, jewelry, crystal, furs, prescription drugs and other valuables from the home or lock them away. And ask them not to leave personal information like mail or bills out in the open and to be sure to lock down computers and lock up laptops and any other expensive, easy-to-pocket electronics like iPods. Also, remind them never to show their home themselves – potential buyers and even agents may not be who they say they are.
More safety tips are available at www.realtor.org/about_nar/safety.
Information taken from NAR’s REALTOR® Safety resources at www.Realtor.org.
Set up a “Distress Code” system
Establish a voice distress code, a secret word or phrase that is not commonly used but can be worked into any conversation for cases where you feel that you are in danger.
Use this if the person you are with can overhear the conversation, but you don’t want to alarm them. For example: “Hi, this is Jennifer. I’m with Mr. Henderson at the Elm Street listing. Could you e-mail me the RED FILE?”
Use the Code in situations where you are uneasy, but do not feel you are in danger. If you are in immediate danger, stop the car and leave the area, or jump out of the car at the next stop. Also, don’t hesitate to call 911 in an emergency.
Source: Washington Real Estate Safety Council
Use it for safety: The 10-Second Rule
Keep yourself safe! Pay attention to your surroundings by following this 10-second rule:
Take 2 seconds when you arrive at your destination.
Is there any questionable activity in the area? Are you parked in a well-lit, visible location?
Take 2 seconds after you step out of your car.
Are there suspicious people around? Do you know exactly where you’re going?
Take 2 seconds as you walk towards your destination.
Are people coming and going or is the area unusually quiet? Are there any obstacles or hiding places in the parking lot or along the street?
Take 2 seconds at the door.
Do you have an uneasy feeling as you’re walking in? Is someone following you in?
Take 2 seconds as soon as you enter your destination.
Does anything seem out of place? Is anyone there who shouldn’t be?
Safety in just 10 seconds
It takes just 10 seconds to scope out your surroundings and spot and avoid danger. Make this “ten-second scan” a habit in your everyday work as a REALTOR.® Then share it with someone else.
“What You Can Do About Safety,” REALTOR® Magazine, September 2000.
Courtesy Night Owl/Vector Security, Landover, MD.
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