The headlines are
shocking!
“Armed Men Rob
Real Estate Agent at Gun Point”
“Philadelphia Police Arrest Two
in Carjacking of Realtor®”
“Real Estate Agent Found Dead,
Buried in Shallow Grave”
WHEN ENTERING FORECLOSED OR VACANT HOMES
• Inspect the exterior. Visit during daylight hours only. Walk around
the house before going in and check for shattered windows or
busted doors. If a squatter is in the home, leave immediately and
call police.
Transporting prospects in your car
• Consider driving separately. Let clients follow you from listing to
listing. If you absolutely have to take one car, then you drive and
park where you can leave quickly -- on the street or curb.
That last headline recounts the story of Arkansas Realtor Beverly
Carter, who was murdered in September, the National Association of
Realtors’“Realtor® Safety Month.”
Experts say Realtor® security and safety comes in layers – doing a
lot of little things adds extra layers of safety -- such as using buddy
systems, being aware of your surroundings, holding first meetings
in your office, etc.
You should never have to pay with your life to work. Yet, in real estate it happens regularly. Horrid headlines appear on the front page
and we all just shake our heads and say how horrific it is.
Also, consider taking personal safety classes. One I recommend is
P.A.R.T. (Professional Assault Response Training). It’s offered around
the country and teaches basic self-defense techniques.
The only silver lining is we can learn from these tragic stories and
possibly prevent them from happening again. With that in mind, I’d
like to share some safety tips you can use in common situations that
have been gleaned from police and personal safety experts.
I’ll end by sharing this good news: NAR’s 2015 president,
Chris Polychron, has pledged to make safety a top priority.
WHEN MEETING WITH A CLIENT FOR THE FIRST TIME
• Don’t be a ‘pop-up’ Realtor®. By that I mean don’t just pop-up immediately when a prospective client says they want to see a house.
Meet at the office first to learn more about them -- ask for their identification and have them complete a customer identification form.
Also, introduce all prospective clients to a coworker. Criminals won’t
like this.
WHEN SHOWING A PROPERTY
• Use the buddy system. Those who know me; know I’m a faithful
Boy Scout. One of our best safety tips is to never leave the campsite
alone. The same goes for showing homes. There’s always strength
(and safety) in numbers. Let others know where you are. Also, avoid
confined spaces like basements and attics where you can become
trapped. When showing rooms, stay by the door. Follow behind prospective buyers when walking through the home. And, if you feel
uncomfortable, always have an excuse to leave the house: say you
need to meet another agent who’s coming with more buyers, for
example.
WHEN HOLDING AN OPEN HOUSE
• Again, buddy up. Would-be assailants are less likely to enter when
they see two people. And inspect homes when you enter, pick escape routes and ensure your cell phone has a connection. Also, let
neighbors know you’re showing the house.
“The sad part is that when you work in real estate, it does
involve risk,” Polychron is quoted in The Washington Post.
“But as an industry we have got to promote better safety
awareness.”
I couldn’t agree more.
Let me hear from you. Are you practicing the profession as safely as
you can? Have you taken a personal self-defense class? Do you have
more safety tips to pass along? Please send any comments or questions you have to [email protected] or http://www.
facebook.com/CorcoranCoaching.
Bubba Mills is executive vice president of Corcoran
Consulting and Coaching Inc. (www.corcorancoaching.com/programs, 800-957-8353), an international
consulting and coaching company that specializes
in performance coaching and the implementation of
sound business systems into Real Estate Companies,
Mortgage Companies and Small Businesses. Corcoran
Consulting & Coaching has a Life Coaching Division
called Genesis; which is based on the core fundamentals of Og Mandino’s Performance Coaching and Intentional Creation Coaching. Corcoran Consulting is
headed