Safety First

When showing a real estate property, you could be putting yourself in jeopardy. Think about it. You’re meeting a stranger in an uninhabited or foreclosed property, sometimes after dark and also letting unknown people in your car with you. It’s hard to follow your mother’s rule “Don’t talk to strangers” when you’re a real estate agent. What can be done to ensure your safety? Here’s some safety tips to keep in mind.

1. Be careful what you wear: This goes especially for women. Avoid short skirts, low cut tops and expensive jewelry. It’s unfortunate but sometimes clothes can be misconstrued by an unscrupulous person into giving them the wrong impression. Always wear shoes that you can run to safety in if necessary.

2. Meet the new client at the office: You don’t know this person. It’s perfectly acceptable to ask for ID for your files. Have them fill out a customer identification form. This form asks for the car make, license number, contact info, employment info and requests a photo of the driver’s licenses. If the person is legitimate this will seem perfectly reasonable to them. Also while they’re there, introduce them to a co worker or two.

3. Driving strangers in your car: You wouldn’t pick up a hitchhiker but you’re allowing a perfect stranger into your car and driving by yourself to a house that’s probably vacant. Your car could be stolen, you could be robbed, injured and left by the side of the road. So drive separately. Have the client follow you in their car. Make sure you aren’t parked in and can access your car in a hurry if needed.

4. Before entering a vacant home, walk around the building: Check and make sure there aren’t any broken windows and the door is intact. There could be squatters lurking inside or an irate foreclosed home owner. If anything looks questionable, call the police immediately, don’t try to handle it yourself.

5. Don’t show the property alone: Use the buddy system or bring along your spouse. They don’t have to follow you around but they can be in the house in the background. Also know the selling points of the attic and basement so you don’t have to enter them. It’s an easy place to be trapped. Stay on the main floor while the clients go and look. If you need to walk with them, walk behind them and let them lead. Stay by open doors in each room so if it becomes necessary to run, you can.

6. Let other’s know where you are: Tell your co-workers or family member where you’re going, what time you’ll be back and with whom you’re going and that you’re showing the house. Don’t show it after dark. Make sure your cell phone is charged. If you feel uncomfortable or unsafe with the client, you can always say your cell went off and leave the room and make a call to someone.

As you can see, using common sense to stay safe is the best way to avoid problems. Above all else, your safety is more important than worrying about someone having issues because you don’t feel safe. Do what your gut instincts tells you, don’t take risks and use what precautions you can. As they say, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

By Linda Lee Ruzicka

Linda Lee Ruzicka lives in the mountains of Western PA , happily married and with her 8 cats and three dogs. She has been published in Twilight Times, Dark Krypt, Fables, Writing Village, June Cotner anthology, The Grit, Reminisce , the book, Haunted Encounters: Friends and Family. She also does freelances work for Beyond andRealestatejobsite. You can read more of her blogs on Realestatejobsite blog.