Four Ways to Keep Yourself Safe as a Real Estate Agent
In today’s crazy world, making safety a top priority is a MUST.
That’s why we reached out to one of industry’s top expert in safety protocols, Tracey Hawkins, “The Safety Lady”.
At every showing a real estate agent has, there is an element of danger. After all, part of an agent’s job is to meet strangers in empty houses.
In recent headlines, agents are being assaulted, robbed, or, sometimes, put in a life-or-death situation. It is more vital now that agents become increasingly aware of the risk they put themselves in every day.
We don’t talk about safety to make agents afraid. We do it to make sure they are aware of the possible threat. Agents need to learn how they can protect themselves and avoid situations that could leave them vulnerable.
Here are Tracey’s top four strategies to stay safe.
One: Trust Your Gut
Every person is born with an instinct to know when they are in trouble. Trusting your gut in situations that feel unsafe could make all the difference in your safety.
If you are dealing with an upset client that you feel could be a threat, be sure to meet in a public place or speak over the phone first. If you have no other option but to meet with this client, be sure you have taken all necessary steps to ensure your comfort and safety. Bring someone to accompany you, download a safety app on your phone, or bring protection such as pepper spray.
Two: Do Not Judge a Book By Its Cover
When selling a house for a prospective client, you can assume a lot from the buyer’s appearance. If someone walks into an open house looking unkempt, you might feel guarded to sell.
However, it’s never good to judge a book by its cover, especially when it comes to safety. There have been several news stories detailing agents who show a home to a respectable-looking buyer. The buyer could be asking all of the questions any home-seeker could ask one minute only to turn around and attack an agent the second they are alone.
Three: There’s Safety in Numbers
As we have already touched upon, many attacks can happen when an agent is alone. Even if agents are more focused on earning individual commission, it’s more important that agents work together to protect one another. That could be accompanying a fellow agent to an open house or a meeting.
Remember, the last thing a criminal wants when they are attacking someone is a witness. If you are accompanying someone, even if the situation seems safe, always stay vigilant and aware of your surroundings.
Four: Realize It Can Happen to You
No matter your gender, race, or the neighborhood you’re in, realize that an attack CAN happen to you. It can beeasy to write off the safety course you see at on a conference agenda or the invitation to a safety webinar, thinking that it will never happen to you. You might think, “I sell homes in an upper-class, safe neighborhood,” or “I can take on anyone that might mess with me.”
The truth is that it happens. Just recently, an agent in Portsmouth, VA was shot by an 84-year-old buyer who was unhappy with their new home.
Don’t take the chance. Learn from the lessons other agents have had to go through. Take the necessary precautions and be safe.
Big thanks to our friend and safety expert Tracey Hawkins for her valuable insight and extraordinary training she offers agents in our industry. Please visit Tracey’s site to get more valuable information!
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