YPNDEN Prioritize Personal Safety

• First meetings: When meeting with a potential customer for the first time, arrange for it to be held in a public setting.

• Proof of ID: During the first meeting with a potential customer, obtain a copy of their driver’s license or other government-issued ID. Keep this on file and share with your broker’s office.

• Introduce yourself: When visiting a home for a showing or listing appointment, introduce yourself to any surrounding neighbors you see. This lets them know why you are at the property as well as puts them on alert in case something goes wrong.

We all got into real estate for one reason or another. Something made us PASSIONATE about it. Whether it was to personally invest, your finesse sales skills, your desire for a flexible schedule, or that you are an absolute people-person. No matter the reason, one fact remains – this can be a dangerous career at-times. As REALTORS®, we spend a lot of time working with and meeting with people we don’t necessarily know. We have a unique position that way – we sometimes put ourselves in vulnerable positions with others: our direct contact information is publicly known; we advertise our secluded whereabouts when we hold an open house; we invite strangers to meet with us and show them homes, which potentially puts our own safety at risk. But that’s the nature of the business, right? We must make ourselves available in order to market, network and promote our services. While this is true, new REALTORS® should always be mindful that they are practicing real estate safely – for their customers, their families and their own sakes. Here is a condensed list of the many things you can do to ensure you’re staying diligent:

• Situational awareness: Be aware of your surroundings so you can recognize anything out of place or suspicious. Pay attention to details and others around you.

• Clue a friend in: Making your schedule and location known to a loved one or colleague allows for them to be on alert if they don’t hear from you in a reasonable amount of time or something strays from the plan.

• Gut feeling: Always follow your instincts! If something doesn’t feel right or you feel uncomfortable, don’t ignore that feeling.

• Shared open houses: Never host an open house alone. Partner with another agent, a lender, a title agent, an inspector, etc. There is power in numbers.

• Quick getaway: Reverse-park into driveways and parking spots. It’s simple, but great practice!

• Self-defense: Take a self-defense course to learn and practice techniques to become your best protection.

• Ready hands: Keep your hands free and ready. You never know when you’ll need to defend yourself. Keeping your hands free of clutter and your head up means you’re ready to use your hands to defend yourself should it become necessary.

In this industry, it’s best to be overly prepared. I would stress to any agent that the importance of personal safety is an often-forgotten pillar of success. It’s great to work your leads, market, promote and have referrals come pouring in; but to truly prevail in the real estate industry, consider the priority that your personal safety must take to offer you longevity in this field. Your loved ones will thank you!