SEPTEMBER: Realtor Safety Month

Caution is the parent of safety – Proverb

NAR or National Association of Realtors® dedicate September as Realtors® Safety Month. This helps realtors® to be aware of the danger and risk they are facing with their daily activities. NAR recently released Member Safety Report for the year and this meant to spread awareness, to educate and to empower Realtors®.

According to the report:

38% of real estate professional experienced a situation that made them fear for their personal safety or safety of their personal information.

While working as a real estate professional, some experienced the following:

2% experienced robbery
1% experienced an assault
1% experienced identity theft

The numbers show that there isn’t a lot of violence or crime that happened but still it happened. Therefore, realtors® should be always aware of their surroundings and always on-guard.

Keys to Minimize Risk in Everyday Interactions

1. When entering a vacant home, inspect the house before you enter in. Make sure that the door and windows are not broken and don’t look like someone tries to get in.
2. If there is someone inside (squatter), leave at once. Call the police and let them handle the trespassers.
3. Ask someone to come with you when you show a home. It can be your coworker, your friend or a family member.
4. If you need to go alone, make sure that there is someone who knows your location.
5. Make an appointment on daylight times only.
6. If you’ll go to meet your client for the first time, ask to meet at the office first, introduce to one or two co-workers, ask for personal information and identification. Also, ask them fill-out a client’s identification form. Tell them that it is the company’s procedure.
7. Let the buyer take the lead and always walk behind.
8. Don’t leave your valuables unattended during open houses.
9. Watch what you wear.
10. Do not reveal personal information. Use office address and use a separate cell phone number dedicated to marketing.

These are the keys to have a safe and peaceful life as a realtor. It doesn’t hurt to be extra careful.

Keep safe!