It’s Realtor Safety Week
It’s the important time that rolls around every year - the time to remind Realtors to be safety conscious as they are out and about showing homes to clients and holding open houses. As an agent, we always hear the horror stories … bad things that happen to both male and female ranging from robbery, rape, and sometimes murder.
As agents, we tend to be easy targets. We get a phone call saying, “Hello. I am [fictitious name] and I’m sitting in front of this house on Cumberland Drive. Can you come over so I can see it?” If the agent is wise they will schedule a meeting with the potential buyer at the office first (bad people won’t come to the office). If the buyer seems insistent, the agent should at least NEVER GO ALONE.
We are pretty good at my own office about helping each other out. I’ve gone to showings with other agents, sometimes my colleagues come with me. And I will continue to do that both ways … I never want to meet a client for the first time outside of a safe area (my own office). We also have a Realtor “question” we can ask our office as a code to say we’re in trouble. I won’t - of course - reveal that question here, but I hope ALL offices have some tip-off mechanism to
reveal when someone is in danger.
An agent once told me about meeting with a client she’d first met on neutral ground, but got frightened during the showings. The buyer only wanted to see vacant homes and kept asking her to go upstairs with him to look around. She kept her cool and remained downstairs … phone in her hand and next to the unlocked door. Nothing bad happened, but who’s to say nothing could have had she not trusted her instincts.
I’ve only felt threatened one time - at a new construction open house. Two men came in and wanted to see the plat of the subdivision. I turned my back to them to get it and when I turned back around, there was one on each side of me. In hindsight, I was probably just paranoid but I simply stepped away from them and chatted at a comfortable five feet away.
Just remember, if you’re working with an agent expect to be asked to meet at the office first. Do not be affronted if they ask you for a copy of your drivers license. Again, the bad people will refuse to let you see it and make a copy. Don’t corner your agent. Be non-threatening. Don’t ask creepy questions or you’ll find yourself without a Realtor.
Realtors, be safe. Be cautious. Be careful. And read this safety information from the National Association of Realtors.




