Real Estate Agent Personal Safety - Part II

Posted on February 19, 2009
Filed Under Realtor Safety Awareness, Realtor Safety Tips

Courtesy of Texas Association of Realtors

Protect Yourself-Isn’t It Time To Get Serious About Your Safety?

Watch for red flags and trust your gut

Safety is a concern for people in all professions, particularly those that require workers to work one-on-one with prospective customers in the field. Whether holding open houses, showing homes, or attending listing appointments, real estate agents can be particularly vulnerable to criminals, as evidenced by the numerous media reports of crimes against licensees.

“Anytime you’re alone with a potential criminal, you’re vulnerable,” says Nancy Hightshoe, a former police detective, professional speaker, and president of Nancy Hightshoe Seminars, Inc. in St. Louis. “REALTORS® are alone with strangers all the time—that’s the nature of their business.”

And where criminals were once out to rob homes or the agents themselves of cash and valuables, some are taking the crimes to the next level by attacking, sexually assaulting, and even killing their victims. “Crimes in general are getting more violent,” says Hightshoe.

Robert Siciliano, CEO of RealtySecurity.com in Boston, says the faltering economy is also breeding more criminals. “Desperate times mean desperate measures, and ‘regular’ people end up committing crimes,” says Siciliano. “Combine that with the fact that real estate is a high-risk profession, and you really have to keep your head up and be aware of how vulnerable you are right now.”

Jeanette Armstrong, a REALTOR® with Keller Realty of Frisco, found that out a year ago when she received a phone call from a supposed cash buyer who was interested in $600,000-plus homes, but who wanted to see her $289,000 listing. “That was the first red flag,” says Armstrong. “The second was that he wanted to close in three weeks, but was vague about what he wanted in a home.”

Not comfortable meeting the man alone, Armstrong brought her husband along on the appointment. She had also asked her team leader to meet the prospect in person at the office prior to the showing. The buyer refused to sign a buyer’s representation agreement or Information About Brokerage Services form (yet another red flag), and a nervous Armstrong neglected to get a copy of his driver’s license. For the showings, the prospect drove his own car, following Armstrong and her husband. He was “barely interested” in any of the new home builders that the REALTORS® introduced him to.

“He acted like he couldn’t wait to get out of there,” recalls Armstrong, who has been licensed for eight years. “He then told me that he was meeting someone for dinner, and that he’d call me tomorrow. He never called.” Looking back, Armstrong is relieved that she went with her gut instinct by protecting herself and bringing backup along on the showing appointments. “I don’t know what this buyer’s intentions were, but I know they weren’t to buy a home,” says Armstrong. “When we saw a shovel in the back of the rental truck he was driving, we knew that he could have been dangerous.”

Knowing that she did everything she could to protect herself, Armstrong urges other agents to “trust their gut” and do what it takes to make sure they don’t go to showings, listing appointments, or open houses alone. “Whenever I work with a buyer who I haven’t met, I always have someone with me,” says Armstrong. She also carries a pen filled with pepper spray, just in case. “I always protect myself, and I always put my safety first.”

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