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REALTOR® Safety Series: Staying Safe At Open Houses

By
Services for Real Estate Pros with Moby

Sadly another tragic REALTOR® attack has made headlines this past week in Atlanta. Reports have surfaced claiming that a man robbed and attacked a female REALTOR® at gunpoint inside her leasing office. Luckily the REALTOR® was able to escape without any major injuries.  You can read the full article from Fox Atlanta for more details. 

Unfortunate events such as these are a true reminder that we need to prioritize our safety, and look at ways in which we could improve our own safety practices. To help jumpstart our Best Safety Practices series, we wanted to share with you quick and easy tips on how to be safe at Open Houses:

Staying Safe Prior To Hosting An Open House:

One of the key factors in staying safe on the job is being prepared. Here are a few tips on how you can ensure your open house will be as safe as it is successful:

  • Inform someone of the location and time of the Open House
  • Download a safety App, such as Moby, onto your smartphone
  • Make sure your phone is fully charged
  • Make sure your car has sufficient fuel
  • Arrange for someone check up on you, or automate a check-in with Moby

Staying Safe While Hosting An Open House:

You need to be vigilant about your safety from the moment you get out of your car, until the moment you are safely back home. Here are a few tips on how to ensure you are safe while hosting the open house:

  • Let someone in the neighborhood know of your presence
  • Place valuables in your car trunk
  • Make sure your phone is always within reach
  • Make sure you know the areas of the house that have cell-phone reception
  • Always follow clients, never lead the way
  • Avoid going into basements, attics or tight spaces.
  • Use Moby to check-in or alert a colleague, friend, or family member when you feel unsafe
  • Make sure you are actively thinking about your safety as you lock up the house at the end of the Open House
  • Take extra precaution as you are leaving the property

If you would like more information about REALTOR® safety, don't foget that you can download our 2011 Real Estate Safety Report for free.

Do you have any tips on how to stay safe at Open Houses? We would love to hear about more safety tips that REALTORS® use to protect themselves, so be sure to leave a comment below!

Take care and be safe everyone!

The Moby Team

 

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J. Philip Faranda
Howard Hanna Rand Realty - Yorktown Heights, NY
Associate Broker / Office Manager

Horrible news, but I'm glad the agent didn't suffer the same fate as Ashley Oakland, whose murder this past spring remains unsolved. 

 

Jul 09, 2011 04:27 PM
EMILIA B COOPER, REALTOR® SFR.NCHSE.AHWD
LAROSA REALTY - Orlando, FL
Short Sales, Foreclosure & Bank Owned Real Estate

Thank you Moby for sharing this news!! Great Post!

Emilia Cooper

Jul 09, 2011 04:33 PM
Ron T. Weems Jr.
Weems Property Group | KW North Sound - Bothell, WA
Managing the details one home at a time.

Thanks for sharing Moby.

Jul 09, 2011 09:50 PM
Jeremy Joslin
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage - South Windsor, CT
Professional Real Estate Marketing and Sales

Glad she got away and I hope they get this guy fast.  It sounds like an excellent application and great tips for staying safe.

Jul 10, 2011 02:46 AM
Diana Braun
Pittman & Associates, REALTORS® - Raleigh, NC
Excellent Customer Service - Relocation Specialist

Thanks for sharing Moby and the news story.  Unforturnate that this agent had to experience this circumstances.  Glad to hear that she got away.  A good reminder to keep safe at Open House and while showing properties.

Jul 10, 2011 03:26 AM
Barbara Altieri
Better Homes and Gardens RE Shore and Country Properties - Shelton, CT
REALTOR-Fairfield County CT Homes/Condos For Sale

Moby sounds like a great app.  Have to look into it. I make it a habit to always have someone accompany me on an open house.  An associate, relative, friend, lender.....  I never stay in the open house alone. 

Jul 10, 2011 04:49 AM
Lynne Ruffin
Lynne RUFFIN - Norfolk, VA
Web Styles

Thanks for sharing the Moby app.  I will definitely try it out.  I do Open Houses on a regular basis and it sounds like a great tool to use.

Jul 10, 2011 05:36 AM
Anonymous
Tricia McClellan, Broker

I belong to Detroit Association of Realtors, Michigan and I teach all my members to be alert. Tell somebody where you are and to call you every 10 minutes when you are alone in the office.

Jul 10, 2011 08:00 AM
#8
Donald Reich
Madison Specs - New Rochelle, NY
Cost Segregation Specialist

Thank you for the reminder. My office has a policy of 2 agents for an open house. Not only does it serve our customers better, but it is safer for our agents too!

Jul 10, 2011 10:57 AM
Evelina Tsigelnitskaya
SIB Realty - Sunny Isles Beach, FL

Staying Safe While Hosting An Open House

NEVER DO IT ALONE!

That I would say to everybody!

Never do open house alone, get your co-worker, agent from your office, member of the family.

Jul 10, 2011 12:34 PM
Evelina Tsigelnitskaya
SIB Realty - Sunny Isles Beach, FL

Donald, your office has a great policy, I would put in our office Policy Manual that too. Mendatory to have at lease 2 agents for an open house if our office will do it.

Jul 10, 2011 12:35 PM
Beverly Jo Cole
Southern Cross Real Estate, Inc. - Fort Lauderdale, FL

We've always had that policy way back to the days my mother opened her company in the 1960's. Never hold an Open House with just one agent. Frankly, I feel it's best to keep one agent near the front door and the other in the kitchen/family room area (near another door). Better to be overly cautious for nothing than unprepared.

Jul 10, 2011 04:32 PM
Evelyn Kennedy
Alain Pinel Realtors - Alameda, CA
Alameda, Real Estate, Alameda, CA

Moby:

I have to look at that app you mentioned.  I agree with everyone who says that agents should do open houses in pairs.

Jul 12, 2011 05:33 PM
Cameron Novak
The Homefinding Center - 1000 Palms, CA
Real Estate Broker since 2008

Definitely a great idea to have two people at each open house.  Not only for safety sake, but the selling is much better that way.

Jul 12, 2011 09:47 PM
Bina Yajnik
Watson Realty Corp. Palm Coast, FL - Palm Coast, FL

Thanks for sharing the Moby application.  2 people doing the open house is the only way to do this & try to stay safe.........

Jul 13, 2011 12:48 AM
Debra Parker
Debra Parker Real Estate, Inc. - Stuart, FL
Realtor - Stuart Florida Homes for Sale

This app sounds very handy, has anyone used it before? 

Jul 13, 2011 06:24 AM
Moby
Moby - Santa Monica, CA

Philip, we were also very pleased to hear that the incident did not involve a fatality.

Emilia, and Rob thank you for your comment! Very glad you liked our post!

Jeremy, we hope that justice gets served as soon as possible!

Diana, we constantly need to be reminded to stay safe on the job!

Thank you Barbara, if you have any questions about Moby after you download it, please feel free to let us know!

Lynne, do let us know what you think of Moby after trying it!

Tricia, what a great thing that you remind your members to be alert!

Donald, great office policy!

SIB Realty, there are safety in numbers!

Beverly, we could not have said it better ourselves!

Evelyn, please feel free to let us know what you think of Moby and if you have any questions we are here to answer!

Cameron, definitely!

Bina, glad to see so many REALTORS hosting Open Houses in teams!

Debra, we have received quite a few comments from ActiveRainers who have used Moby. You can find testimonials from fellow agents on Moby's website.  

 

Jul 15, 2011 06:45 AM