REALTOR® Safety Series: Staying Safe At Open Houses
Here are some excellent tips for staying safe and what sounds to be a great application to keep people informed of your where-abouts. At my office we have recently had a man on parole frequenting our open houses. We contacted the police and for now he has kept away but you should always be careful.
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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