Essential Safety Tips for Real Estate Agents

Did you know that a study conducted by The National Association of Realtors found that 38% of realtors have feared for their safety while on the job? Unsurprisingly, female realtors are especially concerned about staying safe. Think about all of the times when you may find yourself in a compromising situation if you’re not careful: open houses, parking garages, etc. Although many safety concerns are more geared towards female real estate agents, male real estate agents are not free from safety concerns.

Real estate is one of the few jobs where you are required to meet with strangers one-on-one. This includes not only clients but other agents and real estate professionals as well.

Top Realtor Safety Tips

1. 1. Keep personal information to yourself. Get to know your prospective clients without offering too much personal information about yourself.
   2. Make use of real estate security technology. These tools can do half the thinking and prep for you. Take a look at the top recommended security tools for real estate agents.
   3. Avoid showing empty properties after dark. Remember that some vacant or model properties will not have electricity, so you should at least have daylight just in case.
   4. Within your open house invites and posters, explicitly state that identification will be required at the first door and video surveillance will be used.
   5. Prepare yourself for stress or overwhelm by consistently check in with yourself.
   6. Prepare your properties for weather-related concerns. For example, consider power outages, broken air conditioners, and slippery driveways.
   7. Be careful using public wifi. Wifi networks are an easy and affordable way to use the internet, however, there is a higher risk of hackers accessing your sensitive data.
   8. When you are showing commercial property, remember that thick walls and being underground may affect your phone signal strength. Check your phone reception ahead of time to make sure you don’t end up off the grid.
   9. Host your initial meeting with clients in a public place. Always let someone else, particularly a coworker know who and where you are meeting.
   10. Avoid opening emails from unknown addresses, or at least with unknown email providers. If you receive a strange message with poor grammar or an urgent message from a familiar address, contact them on a different platform and double-check that they haven’t been hacked.
   11. Know your hyperlocal neighbourhood through and through. Observe how the area looks day and night, during busy times, and holidays.

1. Here are some tips that will help female agents mitigate risk in their day to day work as an agent:

1. Share your live location with a coworker or loved one who can track it.
2. In enclosed spaces such as the basement or rooms with tight exits, allow your client to enter the room first and you follow. As you exit the room, exit first and allow the client to follow.
3. Never show a home alone at night.
4. Invite a partner to come with you to a meeting, showing, or door-knocking if you don’t feel comfortable going alone.
5. If a client specifically asks if the property will be vacant when you go to view it, that is a red flag. Make sure not to go alone and to schedule to visit during the day.

Conclusion…

In a career like real estate crucial to have a safety plan. It’s about thinking ahead, trusting your instincts, and being familiar with the common risks of the job. With all of the right information and tools in hand, you can feel confident and safe on the job.

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