The Broker’s Duty: Safeguarding Your Agents on the Job
Broker responsibility goes beyond transactions—protecting agents’ safety builds trust, morale, and a stronger, more resilient real estate team.
“Precaution is better than cure.” - Edward Coke
For real estate leaders, the responsibility to your team extends beyond making successful deals. It encompasses ensuring their safety as well. While the dynamic nature of showing houses and meeting with potential clients can be exciting, it also poses unique challenges and risks.
Here are some statistics around real estate agent safety that every broker should know:
Emphasizing safety is not just a mandatory protocol; it’s a fundamental necessity. Understanding and implementing effective safety measures is crucial, paving the way for a secure and stress-free working environment. Let’s delve into practical strategies to help your teams stay vigilant and prepared, ensuring they are not just successful but also safe.
Related reading: Essential Realtor Safety Tips from Recent Tragedies
Develop a Safety Plan for Your Team
When it comes to real estate, safety isn’t just a perk – it’s a necessity. Having a robust contingency plan is crucial for protecting both yourself and your clients. Start by developing a company safety plan that acknowledges potential threats like meeting new clients or hosting open houses.
Here are some guidelines for your team members to follow to stay safe:
- Screen clients and meet first in public – Your team member’s first encounter with potential clients should always prioritize their safety. It’s essential to screen clients before any face-to-face interactions. A preliminary step is to employ services like Forewarn, which allows users to quickly verify identities and gather important background information. This extra layer of caution can prevent unpleasant surprises and ensure your agents aren’t meeting someone with a hidden history.
- Share schedules and locations with the team – Set regular check-in times to ensure that someone in your brokerage is aware of your agents’ whereabouts and can verify their safety throughout the day. Additionally, it’s wise to keep cell phones fully charged and easily accessible during showings.
- Show homes in daylight – Real estate agents should always conduct showings when natural daylight is abundant. Turn on all lights and open curtains to keep the environment well-lit. Not only does this help with the appeal of the home but it also adds a layer of visibility.
- Introduce themselves to the neighbors – Not only does this help your agents meet new people in the community, but it also creates a sense of community watch, serving as an informal alert system should anything out of the ordinary occur.
- Leave valuables behind – While it might be tempting for agents to want to show off their success with having nice things, it also opens them up to an increased risk of theft. Instruct your team members to leave anything valuable at home to minimize that risk.
- Familiarize themselves with the property layout ahead of time – Being aware of their surroundings can assist in early detection of anything unusual or threatening. Also, they should identify all the exits and potential safe spots if a quick escape becomes necessary. Ensuring their vehicle is parked in a location that won’t be blocked in will also allow for a swift departure if needed.
- Trust their instincts – If something doesn’t feel right about an appointment, it’s okay to reschedule or cancel altogether. Prioritizing precautions may sometimes feel inconvenient, but maintaining a proactive approach to safety is essential in ensuring not only their security but also peace of mind.
Related reading: Four Ways to Keep Yourself Safe as a Real Estate Agent
Emergency Preparedness: Developing a Contingency Plan
A strong contingency plan protects not just you, but also the clients who put their trust in you. That starts with creating company protocols and safety strategies that anticipate real risks.
- Enroll team members in safety training or self-defense classes: Consider offering safety training sessions tailored for real estate professionals. This training will enlighten your team members on various situations they may encounter and prepare them with skills such as situational awareness, self-defense, and effective communication.
- Communication is key: Establish a clear communication protocol. Ensure that your agents have a reliable method for maintaining contact with your office or a designated emergency contact. Before each showing, they should inform you of their location and expected time of return. Install safety apps that allow for discreet signaling in case your agents find themselves in distress.
- Draft a Safety Plan for each listing: Teach agents to familiarize themselves with every property. Identify at least two escape routes from each room. In the event of an emergency, this foresight can help your agents promptly exit the premises and avoid potential confrontations.
- Designating a safety officer or creating a safety committee within your brokerage: This role can be pivotal in maintaining focus on safety, as it encourages team leadership and accountability. The safety officer can serve as a point of contact for all safety-related queries, ensuring that no aspect of team member wellbeing goes unnoticed.
- Utilize technology to your advantage: Equip your agents with the necessary tools, such as personal safety apps and devices that can alert authorities in case of an emergency. Encourage the use of digital platforms for client meetings when possible, especially during the initial stages, to assess client intent and mitigate risk factors.
By prioritizing these measures, you empower yourself and your team to deal with unexpected scenarios while maintaining peace of mind. Remember, staying alert and prepared transforms safety practices into habitual acts of mindfulness, ultimately fostering a secure working environment.
Related reading: NAR – Tips to Keep Yourself and Your Agents Safe on the Job
The Takeaway
Ensuring the safety of your real estate team is about fostering a vigilant and supportive environment. Encourage open discussions about safety, regularly review protocols, and adapt to new challenges. Ultimately, a culture of safety not only enhances team morale but also bolsters client trust, paving the way for safer and more successful real estate experiences.
Related reading: BGREB – How Safe Are You? 17 Essential Safety Tips For Real Estate Agents
For Your Agents…
Your safety is our utmost priority, and every step we take together strengthens the fabric of our community. Remember that it’s okay to voice concerns, and know we’re here to support you, ensuring you feel secure and confident in every endeavor.
Embrace the power of partnership—as partners watching out for each other, we create a circle of safety. Let’s commit to staying informed and prepared, empowering ourselves through awareness and training. Together, we are resilient, and together, we will thrive. Always take care, and trust that your well-being is at the heart of all we do.
Darryl Davis is an award-winning international speaker, real estate and business coach, and best-selling author of three books, all published by McGraw Hill Publishers.
For more than 35 years, Darryl has spoken to and trained more than 600,000 sales professionals around the globe to more than double their production year after year. His book, How to Become a Power Agent in Real Estate, tops Amazon’s charts for one of the most sold books to real estate agents.
He was awarded the Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) designation by the National Speaker’s Association, which is given to less than 2% of all speakers worldwide.
Whether from a stage or Zooming into a virtual room, Darryl’s extraordinary humor, relatability, and natural gift for teaching real-world, results-producing skills and mindsets to audiences have made him a client favorite throughout his career.
Audiences will laugh, learn, and ultimately walk away better prepared for a changing world, with the tools, skills, and training they need to build their businesses with more ease and less stress and to design lives and careers worth smiling about.
Bring One of Darryl’s W.O.R.K. Topics to Your Organization!
By providing your agents with the knowledge and insights they need to stay ahead of the game, you can ensure that they are equipped to handle any situation that comes their way!