“I probably do the typical things most Realtors do. I always tell my family and office where I’ll be. I take my cell phone and my pepper spray with me. A friend of mine suggested making a cell phone call just as your prospective buyer arrives at the property so they can hear you on the phone telling someone where you are and what time you’ll be back. I’ve also heard of an office that requires prospective clients to leave their drivers’ licenses at the office when they are being shown property. If I’m ever unsure about someone, I ask my husband to accompany me on the showing. Even if he just sits in the car, it provides peace of mind.”
— Kerry Prodromides,
Century 21 St. Augustine Properties
“You certainly have hit on an issue that should be of primary concern to all of us who work with people all the time that we have never met. I believe statistics reveal that the profession of a real estate agent is one of the most dangerous, if not the most dangerous positions there is. At Prudential, safety is one topic that is discussed on a regular basis and is ongoing. Awareness is our best defense against crime.
We take precautions every day of our career to ensure we are as safe as possible:
• Never create patterns that someone can follow easily.
• Always allow yourself to be in a position to get away from the client or property if needed.
• Never park your vehicle where it can be blocked in.
• Don’t flaunt jewelry, money or other items of value in front of people.
• Do not meet people at vacant or occupied properties without some sort of a backup or backup plan.
• Avoid showing homes at night after dark to people you don’t know.
• Don’t give people too much information about yourself until you meet them in person and can determine who you are working with.
• Always try to get customers to come to your office so others can see them.
• Most of all, don’t take for granted that you are safe. People believe all Realtors are millionaires based on production figures posted in various publications. They judge us by the clothes and the jewelry we wear, the cars we drive and the properties we are associated with. Because we are so public with our positions, we are constantly exposed to everybody. Let your gut feelings dictate. Don’t take chances. If we use good common sense every day can be a safe and happy one.”
— Dan Daniel, Prudential Network Realty
“Each time Michelle [Parham] goes to meet a prospective new home manager, either me or Danny [Parham] goes with her. We do not let her go alone unless we know the people. Also, she tells us which houses she will be showing, to whom and in what order. She calls us when she’s finished. When Michelle goes to houses, she always carries her palm-size pepper spray with her, always keeps the people in front of her, leaves the front door slightly open for easy escape if needed and always has her phone with her as well. When I’m meeting a client, I keep my keys in my hand, leave the door open, and keep the person in front of me.”
— Derrell Moore, Showhomes of America
“This would not be for the general sales offices because it would be tough to get everyone on the same system. In my small property management office we use the Nextel phone system. One of Nextel’s features is the Direct Connect radio feature. An agent showing a property could preset their phone to the radio mode just prior to meeting a customer. If this customer turned out to be a bad guy, with radio phone in hand, the agent could simply press the ‘push-to-talk’ button and summon help.”
— Wayne M. Jones, Watson Realty Corp.
“When it comes to showing property, or meeting clients in general, I insist on meeting them at my office. Although this may be an inconvenience to the prospect, they will take the time to meet and then go on from there if they are serious about buying a home. No other business [that I’m aware of] will spend time with a prospect unless a qualifying meeting has taken place.”
— Phyllis Staines, Re/Max Coastal Real Estate
“Sheer physical intimidation.”
— Kathrin Lancelle, Prudential Network Realty
“Always stand near the exit when showing property.”
— Ollie Satcher-Brown, Prudential Network Realty
“It is so important to be alert and aware of our surroundings and approach each customer with a professional respect and precaution. Bring customers into the office for at least the first contact. Have a security plan each time you show property. For example, tell people where you are going and who you will be with. Then have someone call you on a regular basis, answer the phone and quickly tell the person everything is OK. Have a code word to let them know if you are uncomfortable. We also have self-defense demonstrations and a notification system with in our offices. Communication is critical in a good safety plan. If a Realtor is ever uncomfortable going on an appointment, they should either take someone with them or just do not go. No transaction is more important than safety.”
—Sherron Willson, Prudential Network Realty
“I screen the customer by first meeting them at the office if I do not know them personally. I make sure someone knows where and with whom I am showing property and how long I expect to be gone. I have my cell phone and never my purse on me when I am at the property. On a recent occasion, I had a friend in the office call me every 15 minutes as an extra safeguard to make sure all was okay.”
— Mary Anne Eldreth,
Coldwell Banker Walter Williams
“Something as simple as vehicle signage with the vehicle parked in plain view at the curb alerts neighbors that a Realtor is in the home and most probably with a stranger.”
— Wallace J. Conway,
Florida HomePro, Inc.
“I like to avoid a possible confrontation by asking a new prospect, especially a male, to meet for the first time at my office. If they agree and show up, I have a better feeling about the meeting. I get phone numbers and addresses and find out if they are new to the area or have some point of contact here. Watson Realty Corp. discourages us from meeting the first time at the property, and we let the agent on duty or someone else know where we are going.”
— Joyce Haley,
Watson Realty Corp.-St. Augustine
“I don’t meet with customers to show property, but I do have a request every once in a while to meet with a customer at their home to go over the mortgage paperwork. I simply state that it is against Countrywide company policy to do so. If my office is inconvenient for them, I offer to meet them at the builder’s sales office [if it’s new construction] or at the Realtor’s office [if it is a resale]. I would suggest keeping mace/pepper spray, etc. handy. Also, if you have to go alone with a buyer, make appointments with the seller so that if you don’t show, someone will start looking for you. Make sure your office/broker/assistant knows your schedule and that you have specific check-in times.”
—Laura G. Smith,
Countrywide Home Loans
“Thanks for addressing this issue. I have warned agents over the years and still I do not see a standardized system to help insure we have a better idea of whom we are dealing with as we show homes. I have always advocated that agents take the time to consult with their prospects in their office. This gives then an opportunity to observe the individual and have others in the office do likewise. It would and should be our rule that proper identification be presented before any agent [male and female alike] ever shows property. If you were to ask a site agent at an apartment complex to show you a unit, they will make a copy of your driver’s license before you leave the office. Why should we do any less? We owe it to our sellers who rely on us to bring qualified buyers. Most sellers assume that we are screening the prospects before we show the homes. Ideally I would encourage agents to not only get proper identification, but also take the time to do their job and pre-qualify the person with a lender. This is what sellers expect from us and it does move the transaction along much faster and smoother if buyers are encouraged to do so. The buyers today have heard about pre-qualifying from several mediums and should be prepared to produce the information needed by lenders if they are serious about buying.
In addition, agents should never meet someone at a vacant house and should always ask another agent to come along if they do not feel comfortable or their intuition sets off warning signals. I for one would always say yes to anyone who asked for this type of help. I’d like to think that, as in the past, someone would help me if asked. I would also caution those agents who sit on open house at vacant homes. They should always ask another person to sit with them (preferably a mortgage broker to help with qualifying buyers!) and at least let the neighbors know that they will be at the home and to check in once in a while. This could be a great opportunity to network and at the same time make folks aware that they are there for the time specified.”
— Millie Kanyar, Watson Realty Corp.
“When meeting clients to show property, never meet after dark. If you are meeting in area you are not familiar with, tell somebody who you are meeting with and where and when you will be back. Take someone with you when practical. Keep your cell phone charged and car in good mechanical working order and take self defense courses.”
— J.J. Cogdill, Cogdill Builders, Inc.
“Get that customer to meet you at the office. If step one isn’t working, make sure you have a contact person and code word to call if there is trouble. If the property is vacant, arrive early, turn on lights, and return to your car. When the customer arrives, hand he/she the required notice, then call the office contact to let them know what’s up. If you’re uncomfortable, don’t enter, claim you have a family emergency and ask the customer to reschedule the appointment. Keep your escape route open. Never pull in the driveway ahead of your prospect. Park on the street where you have the chance to get away.”
— Tom O’Connell,
Watson Realty Corp.-
Fernandina Beach
“We tell our receptionist where we’re going, who we’re with and when we expect to return. We have a telephone signal that we are supposed to use if we need help. Our broker goes over this signal every year at a sales meeting. If we are really unsure about going out with a prospective buyer or going out to a home we are not familiar with, we use an excuse to bring another agent or assistant along.”
— Grace Lipman,
Century 21 John T. Ferreira &
Son, Inc.
“We have a few tips here in the office. Don’t go to a vacant property when you do not know who you are meeting. Have them come to the office and meet you there.
“Always have the customer walk in front of you, especially down hallways in a house. Keeping them in front of you helps to keep you from being trapped. When going to a vacant property, let someone know what time your appointment is and who it is you are going to meet with the customer’s telephone number. We also have called an agent that is concerned with a new customer after they are out on an appointment to make sure they are comfortable and all is OK.”
— Diane Moss,
Watson Realty Corp.
“I provide a Women’s Rape Defense Class that is in the Duval County School System Community Education. I can also provide it to Realtors if I get up to six to sign up for six one-hour classes.”
– Larry Shealy, Beachside Mortgage and Royce Gracie Jiu-Jitsu
“When a new prospective buyer surfaces, we are usually so focused on making them feel comfortable and welcome it’s easy to lose track of safety precautions. It’s not always the ‘sinister-sounding lone male’ calling to make an appointment at a vacant, isolated property [which of course should register on any adrenalin-pumping Realtor’s safety geiger counter] that ends up being the perpetrator, but ‘perfectly normal looking’ walk-ins as well!
“Realtors, being the super-sensitive creatures that we are, need to pay close attention to our intuition. When it’s telling us something just doesn’t seem quite right, start asking questions! Perpetrators look for easy prey, so we can use our head and avoid being ‘the next selected victim’. Before putting strangers in my car, I always ask for a photo identification such as driver’s license, and let the prospect see me copying/logging it in, along with the time and apppointment address. If the prospect questions why, I simply reply, ‘For security reasons. Before opening up someone’s property, I am required to record the identification of anyone I’m letting in. I’m sure you would feel the same about your home.’ In today’s world, security is an accepted practice, so if they bolt, I consider myself lucky!
“When showing property, I make sure my office knows who I am with, where I am going and approximate return time. I always have my cell phone with me and make a point to call back to the office occasionally. If you ever feel uneasy when showing a property, keep yourself closest to the exit — never let the stranger get between you and the exit — and have your phone and keys in your hand. Most of us today have automatic ‘lock/unlock/alarm’ buttons on our car key rings that can be used quite effectively anytime we feel threatened. A loud alarm going off tends to attract attention, which discourages a would-be attacker from hanging around.
“When meeting a new prospect at a vacant property, I get a name and phone number and tell them what I’m driving then ask what kind of car they will be in. When I approach, I also get the license number and call all the information back to the office and stay on the line until I’ve met the prospect and feel comfortable. If I didn’t feel comfortable, I would be able to tell the person that the office had called and it couldn’t be shown right then. We would have to reschedule and then I’d leave! I just try and remember to be aware of everything around me, listen to my intuition, keep my phone and key ring with me and keep someone informed as to my whereabouts.”
— Pam Bingemann,
Bingemann Realty Sales
“I never, ever meet anyone at a vacant house or, for that matter, at a house alone. I either call my seller and ask them to stay or take my husband.”
— Judy Hicks,
Re/Max Real Estate Specialists
“I am a grandmother and overly cautious. If it is a male customer, I keep myself closest to the front door and I never follow him upstairs.”
— Eleanor Cook,
Watson Realty, Ponte Vedra Beach
“I make a practice to have people meet me in the office, preferably in a vehicle that has a readable license plate! If the property is a long way from our office and the prospect is much closer to it, I take someone with me, make arrangements to have the office call and arrange a ‘password.’ Of course, I tell them where I am going. However, if someone ‘Just has to see it now, it’s the only time I can do it,’ I am highly suspicious. Serious buyers or sellers will be quite satisfied to make an appointment for a mutually agreeable time. Also, I also tell people that I am safety and security conscious and that engenders a positive and understanding response. I did get one hang-up on that one once. What does that tell you?”
— Toy Scott, Norville Realty