Personal Security and Safety for Real Estate Agents: Know Who You Are Dealing With
Posted on January 22, 2008
Filed Under Realtor Safety Awareness, Security and Safety Tips, Self-Defense Training
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By Real Estate Safety Council
Being a Real Estate professional is one of the most vulnerable types of job there is. In the past, the whole process was very simple. You met your prospective clients, took them in your car to view a property, usually by yourself, and usually the property owner was gone when you viewed the home. In a quest to make a sale, a lot of real estate agents overlooked basic security precautions that could ultimately keep them safe.
Since 2000 twenty-one real estate professionals were murdered on the job. A total of 206 agents died as a result of violent assaults from 1982 to 2000. Many more were raped, beaten and robbed.
These are alarming statistics, and are only used to illustrate how important it is to take safety precautions in your work. The very nature of showing real estate can be risky, for both men and women. You can reduce your exposure to assaults by following some common sense safety tips that have been compiled from crime victims and other real estate associations from across the country.
Over the next few weeks I will post some Real Estate Safety Tips that should be part of every real estate office’s personal safety program. Each office should encourage their agents to attend some kind of in-office personal security and safety awareness training. Or participate in a self-defense awareness class. The more you know the better you will be able to react if you should be assaulted. Remember, carry some type of pepper spray or mace with you. Even a C2 Taser – the latest and greatest in personal protection – can provide a stunning impact should you have to use it on someone trying to assault you.
Know Who You Are Dealing With When you have a new client, do the following (5) things:
o Meet them in the office
o Verify his/her identity
o Get their car make and license number
o Photocopy their driver’s license
o Complete a Client I.D. Form
Ask the prospect to stop by your office and complete the personal identification form before going to a property. This should be openly obtained, preferably in the presence of an associate.
Verify their identity. This may entail calling references, his/her place of employment and verifying his/her current address. Information should be retained at your office, knowing that a name and address are known may discourage an assailant.
Get their car make and license number. It’s easy to do and it will assist police in catching a criminal or finding you if you are abducted. If the car is stolen, your prospect will be reluctant to give you a license number.
Introduce the prospect to someone in your office. A would-be assailant does not like to be noticed or receive exposure knowing a person could pick him out of a police lineup.
Photocopy or scan their driver’s license. Legitimate clients do not mind your copying their driver’s license. We freely show our license to the clerk at the grocery store when we write a check, or show our I.D. to rent a movie. We can expect identification from our client before we show a home worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
This is a new era and times have certainly changed. Taking care of your personal security and safety should be your utmost importance. Don’t overlook these important steps in keeping safe just to make a sale. It could be one of the worst mistakes you could make!
Remember, Stay Aware…Stay Alert…Stay Alive!
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