Safety first...always go with your gut.  Better yet double up if you can.  We are the only people in the world that advertise our face, phone number, and a date and time when we will be alone in a vacant house...think about it.

Woah scarry!

geeze, Kim. But thank god the 9 1 1 thing worked. Hopefully that is the last one in your area now. Oy!

Yeah, that would freak me out.  I have been asked by several female Realtors to sit open houses with them.  I am all too glad to do it. 

Dave Woodson

hmmm,

kick lurkey male between legs & call police. Loser.

This is horrible.  So glad she called 911.  With my situation, PAR told me to call the police which I did and I got a voicemal for Suburban and never a call back.  I'm shocked to say the least.  I plan on going further with Suburban so the word gets out but I have to say it's disturbing the lack of attention this is getting. 

I got another Restricted Number call on my cell today.  No one on the other line though.  Perhaps when I answered he realized he had  already called me and shut up.

Thanks  for the alert to your blog...and way to climb up the  county baby!

Kim, thanks for the post.

As Realtors we have to keep safety at the forefront - always; there are just too many folks out there who have nothing better to do than harass and victimize others they think are vulnerable.

Reason #443 why I hate Open Houses.

Bob, Yeah. Weird thing is there were people in and out and he didn't just go away. He was waiting I'm afraid.

Celeste, Yes it was. I think she is still a little messed up by it. I know I would be!

Carole, I've been at many Opens with no/little cell service!

Dave, I'm glad you do. It's hard sometimes to find one person to sit them. Doubling up would be hard, but maybe you don't do it in that case!

Greg, I see your point,but....  :)

Krista, It is horrible.  We pay for our association too ! I understand you don't want to alert panic, but awareness is important!

re: phone call... Poor "real" clients - a friend of mine was just saying today that she had to apologize to a client because she asked him to prove himself in quite a few ways he was real before meeting.

re: County... haha. Moving up the county. Big man, Dan the Man came racing a sprint a couple of months ago. I was #2 for quite some time. I've been happy to share with Dan & the Vandekaars though. All sound like nice people! Come join us!

Kim, thanks for reminding us about these dangers.  Been a few here in Las Vegas too.  I bought on of those mace on the key chain things and would use it if I had to.

Kim - it always pays to be VERY careful.  Even the nice looking ones can have a screw loose.  Sad commentary on modern life when we have to be suspect of everyone.  Glad your associate is well.

Lanette, So true! Unfortunately, I think we are vulnerable. Like @bob said above, we broadcast where & when we'll be somewhere!

Mariana - I got out of them for so long. But actually enjoy them most of the time. Either a busy O/H or 3 hour of quiet work time :) 

In our office you are supposed to log which open house you are attending to.

We also have codes we use during an open house if needed.

If you call the office and ask for something in the "Yelllow Folder:, it means send another agent over to check things out.

If you ask for the "red folder", it means to please call 911 and send them to the address the agent is holding the house open at.

Not sure if any of you use this, but it can be a discreet way to alert someone to a situation without alerting the person in the house.

Mark

Unfortunately there are creeps out there - everywhere. It's always good to be aware of your surroundings and where your escape route is going to be if needed. Cell phones are also a wonderful invention. Good for that agent!

ugggh.  SHUDDER!! I am with Mariana. Yet another reason that keeps popping up on why I hate open houses.  I really do.

Chris, I usually skim past these posts - I think I needed to hear it, is why it happened to my friend.

Carol, It is sad you have to be that way in today's world!

Mark, A great idea! I have heard this before and think it is a fantastic way to help! I usually set up codes with my mom via text.

Jim, Creeps are everywhere - and unfortuantely cells don't always work, but they have made it nicer - that's for sure!

Ginger, Yeah. I hear your shudder. Confirmed hate for Open Houses :)

Kim,

Thanks for the heads up on this, i will let people know. I have not heard any items in our office, but you always have to listen to your instinct. The new electronic lock boxes will have an alert button as well, a coming feature to be activated, but this will alert several pre-programmed people that you have sent an alert. a great feature as they log which box you just opened and thus your address and location.

I think it is always good to make sure someone knows where you are sitting, what time you are expected home etc. I know Suburban West have a bit oh their weekly email about safety. So email Steve Farace and ask him to include something about this and about Open Houses in particular.

Nick

Dear Kim,  Many thanks for the email.  I will alert my fellow realtors.  Thank you for being so generous to email me.  I appreciate it.  I posted a reply to Krista and another agent who had a similar experience with the nut from Hawaii.  I cut and posted it for you as well.  Thanks again.

I had the same exact thing happen to me with the man from Hawaii.  He called me on my home phone at 7:30 in the morning.  He was very abrupt with me but said he got my name off the Internet.  I asked him how he got my home telephone number and he said information.  That worried me a little, that he would take the time to look me up in information.  I had that happen once before with a man who looked me up because "he liked my picture in the Homes Magazine"!  I told him the Homes Magazine was not actually the best place to meet women and he countered by asking me if I had any single friends!  Anyway, getting back to the man from Hawaii, I began to think one of my co-workers was playing a joke, because it was too good to be true. He and his wife were coming in to buy up to a $1,000,000 home and had to buy that Friday.  I asked him what time it was in Hawaii as it was so early here and he told me 3:00.  I asked for him home number.  He said he doesn't give out that kind of information.  I suggested that he owed it to me since he called me on my home number.  He refused, which sent up a very big red flag.  I asked him if this was a joke and he got very belligerent with me.  He said if I thought it was a joke, than he would find someone who took him seriously.  I suggested that he do that as he didn't seem to be the type of buyer I wanted to work with and I hung up on him.  After I hung up I checked the time difference to Hawaii and he was off by about an hour.  I often wondered what happened to him and this is the first I've heard that he makes a habit out of this.  How strange and scary.  I did join the Realtors Safety Group on Active Rain.  Thanks for the tip!

Kim, did she inform her board? When this happens here, we send out an email to all the members.

HHmmm......(writing down) number 39th. reason why I do not do open houses. Thank you.

*Nick* - You are right about the new keypads, I did know that, but am using the phone software. Great reminder folks!!
Suburban West was called at least once, and no return phone call.

*Susan* - Thank you for sharing your information!

I tried to email the local contacts I had to alert them, you are both welcome!

*Missy* - She tried at least once, no return phone call.  We do get an email, I believe it should be on there!

*Robert* - 39th? Get with Mariana and her comment up there for more reasons... lol.

At my old brokers office we had a password to use if we were in a bad situation and could not call the police. This way anyone answering the phone would know we needed help. Unfortunately, this is the world we live in. Stuart Berman www.relify.com

I had a creep call right before Christmas. I had the feeling he was seeing my pic on my website. I had my 'real' pic up briefly even on AR. Believe me... I was freaked out and went back to using my logo on EVERYTHING. I haven't done one open house since either. I have plenty buyers so I don't need to park out at an open house to get clients. I let my sellers know the danger too. I took plenty of safety measures after that and all I can say is he gave me a "heads up' and now I am prepared.

Good for her for being aware of the surroundings and the stranger. In our local market there are a lot of buyers out looking at homes on their own, especially the bank owned properties. I continually have strangers knock on the door when I am showing a home and ask if they can preview it also. I politely say, "No, I'm sorry but I am with a client. If you want to call me, we can make an appointment to see the property at another time". I've yet to get a call from one of the lookie-loos... Ultimately, I am responsible for the safety of my clients and myself, everyone can make an appointment.

Kim - It seems as though I am hearing more and more stories like this.  Perhaps it is because I read a LOT on ActiveRain.  Kudos to you for helping to spread the word!

We all have to stay on guard at all times so please do not put out your home phone numbers. Open houses can be dangerous so make a plan of escape when you first set up and ladies have you considered carrying pepper spray or a taser?

All agents need to have a plan in place and be very very careful with strangers.  Always a good idea to stay close to an exit door!  I never did basements (when I sold in an area that did have basements.)

Great reminder!  We just had a Realtor stalker arrested in our area.  His picture is posted in every real estate office in our county, with his name and address.  He's out of the stalking business.  I even put his picture on my blog.  He harassed at least three of my friends over the last couple years.  Can't say I was sorry to see him holding up a little numbered sign!!

Thanks for the info. I'm doing my very first open house this Sunday...

My friends and co-workers ofter tease me that I'm a "freak-magnet" and they always seem to find me whether I'm at the grocery store or a restaurant or an open house.  Needless to say, I am ALWAYS very careful during an open house and ofter have friends or family call me to check in.

Thanks for the reminder!

I have never been a fan of open houses for that main reason. When I do hold a property open, I have someone with me - another agent or hubby. I agree with Bob - put a sign in the yard with balloons and directional signs to the house just to let anyone and everyone, creeps included, that an agent is going to be in an house all alone. Then add the Internet to the advertising mix. Everyone just needs to keep thier guard up. Be safe!!!

I'm a huge fan of Open Houses with balloons, signs and everything else.  I am not subtle.  I also have a colleague, a gorgeous hunk who works out about 14 times a week, who will be there with me.  With hunk guy there, if I saw a male person lingering, I'd just assume he was interested in buying the house.

Anyway, fasten your seat belts and don't yak on your cell phone while driving! 

Thank you for this info. I am in Open Houses every weekend and this will make me more aware of who is coming through.

Kim - we have had several agents attacked in the Atlanta area over the past few years. In one case, there were two agents on site. It always pays to be careful.

Way too many creeps out there.....I just received an email from someone with some good tips on it.  I'll be posting it shortly.  Watch for it, it's pretty good.

It is something we need to be aware of but in the moment we sometime think it wouldn't happen to me . Remember "Hills Street Blues"   BE CAREFUL OUT THERE.

Always need to be careful and prepare for the worst and hope for the best.

Sean Allen

It is sad that we have to be on guard at all times...and not just the ladies.  Always be prepared!  Glad it turned out the way it did.  Things could have been some much different.

Kim, pretty scary.  It always helps to do an open house with another realtor or a mortgage professional.  Safety first!

That is one of the nice things about being a guy... not many stalkers.  It helps to not be good looking, young and/or a "hunk".  But, I still have regular phone check-ins with my "safety person" and if I don't answer, they freak out and call the police. 

Very scary- thank goodness that she ended up safe in the end

That is a little scary, let us ad another reason not to do open houses.

Good for her - I would have called the husband with the baseball bat a long time before I called the cops though. It would be good to hand him over to the police after he was taught a lesson.

Its sad to say this but its just not safe no more. That's why if you can,try and team up with a fellow agent in your office to do a open house. I am very happy that she noticed right away that something was not right because another real estate agent probably would not have noticed it. Great post.

*Stuart* It IS unfortunate!

*Lizette* We are out there and expose ourselves. An invasion of privacy!

*Cari* I'm so glad she was!  Good point about the people comin' knockin!

*Jason* You visited my blog :) What an honor! It's good to read about them, to increase awareness.

*Cameron* Taser... oooh... Can I test on you? <smile>

*Diane* I haven't ever walked into a basement while at an Open. I let "them" go down there!

*Sarah* EWH!  That is too close for comfort. I'm sure y'all were rejoicing with Alan & Denny glasses!

*Paula* I'm sorry :(  Just be careful!!! That's like telling people getting for a plane trip about plane crashes.

*Kerry* ::writing down your name in case we meet:: I'll be at the next table over.

*Caryn* Yeppers. A partner there at the house is a good idea!

*Patricia* I'm sure you could manage lots of Open Houses with a gorgeous buff hunk guy there!  This just got way to close to home for me.

*Lindsey* Yay! It worked to increase awareness in another :)

*Jackie* Yikes. Two on site? That seems a good safety measure.

*Ida* Good deal.

*Terry* That's exactly what worries me about ME!

*Sean* That's a great way to say it!

*William* You are right, I think some guys think they are exempt - NOT!

*Irina* Mortgage Professionals are usually always open to sit with you - good point!

*Lane* Phone check-ins are a good idea. Our front desk staff isn't jammed on Sundays - new job task?

*David* YES! And willing to share for others.

*Joey* That could be an answer.

*Todd & Danielle* Yeah, maybe more trouble for the husband though :)

*Lanre* And I'm not sure they are safe for the seller anymore either. No doubt crimes happen of theft more and more as well.

I say allows follow your instincts and having safety plans.  There are some scarey situations if you consider all the times we are with people we do not know.

I'm glad she was on her game and aware of her situation.  I get those feelings everyonce in a while too!  WIth country properties I've been bringing my husband to sit with me.

Unfortunately this is a part of our realty reality today.  Our area was hit with a recent scare as well.  It is so important for each and every one of us to trust our gut, especially at an open house.  Safety should always be first and foremost in our minds. BTW, our office has developed a "coded phrase" for an agent to call into the office, that that agent needs help/feels uneasy.  Have your offices do the same.

To me, the safety issue extends beyonds agents and should be every FSBO's #1 concern.  

Stay safe and successful out there! -Angela   

Kim - it is a scary world we live in!  I am not a big fan of Open Houses, and it is scary how often you hear like stories across the country.  I almost think people should to Open Houses in teams to protect against this type of thing.

That was a scary situation Kim. I agree with Derek on the team approach.

It's a very good point. These situations happen more often than we think. You can never be too cautious!

Creepy!!  Mark I like the color codes idea.  And the email alerts, too.  Can't be too prepared.

Scary. Always trust your gut and better safe than sorry. There is something fundamentally wrong with open houses. All the rest of the time , we bolt the doors, have security systems and don't let anyone inside, but for an open house we advertise that anyone and everyone can come in unannounced and roam around, all while we are there alone with no security --hummm, just saying.

Yes, I have had bad vibes at opens too - I think we all have to stay tuned to our instincts and be on our feet. Thanks for the reminder.  

I'm not a Realtor, but I hear the horror stories. A couple of tips I could make is, if possible work in teams, limit the hours of the open house to four hours (midday only) at the most, have a friend or love one call you on a regular basis. Other tips are, keep your cell phone (unlocked keypad) and car keys on your person at all times, another thing you could do is setup a simple nanny cam. I've learned to trust your own personal radar, if you keep your self aware of your surrounding, and something dosen't feel rite it's time pack up and call it a day, or call for help. When advertising an open house, use terms like, "our team will be there", or "we" never use I, and if someone asks were are the other people, say they left to get us coffee and should be back in a minute and get on the phone for help. I hope some of my tips helped, because I've worked some of the worst areas of New Yorks city and South Florida for the past 20 years. The biggest thing is a sale is not Worth you life, think, be aware, and be safe.

Kim,

Not a good situation......I have passed along, thank you.

For those of you with the chemical/pepper sprays on the key chain...test them periodically. I had one (before it got stolen WITH my purse) for several months. I decided to test it and make sure it would do the job (on a slug on my front porch one night). The "spray" dribbled all over my hands and holder - not really SPRAYING anywhere! Oh, and, no matter how many times you wash your hands afterward, wait at least 24-hours before rubbing your eyes!....lesson number 2! (Okay, I was just a little bit bored that night!).

Wow creepy. I had a drunk come trough one time. He was really skunked. He just would not go away. I called a follow Realtor and had him stop by. This is what I do now. I put a large male on alert. If i call your cell you show up. Now if I am too far away I take a male loan officer or my Husband with me. I had one crazy and that was enough for me.....

Kim - I don't even walk my dog without my cell phone anymore. If I see anyone nearby, I put the phone up to my ear just to look like I am connected to someone in case I need to yell for help! I am thinking karate will soon be the sport of choice and survival...

Loved the reminder about Open House Safety. You might want to suggest that perhaps a title person or loan officer spend some time and drop in on the open houses. Hope you broadcast it out to all of them when you do one, especially if they are close by. They could answer quetions for prospects, and you get to know them a little better. There is always power in numbers too, as most deviants will not approach you if you have company, just too risky. I like the code words too, and the yellow folder one was good. Make sure your advocacy partners know them, just in case that weird person happens to be there when the title or mortgage consultant shows up.

I always advocate having a small door prize or gift basket for those who do show up and preview the home. Most will sign in with their real names and addresses, and those who do not sign up are the ones to watch out for, especially if they are "casing" the place for stealing items from the house, or access private indentity documents. It amazes me on how people leave credit cards, invoices, tax information, social security information around the house that is easily accessible. As someone who advocates signing on for Identity Theft coverage, and who was a victim, I have made it my mission to have my clients do a security checklist prior to having a contractor, stager, Realtor, or open house prospect go through their homes.

There can never be too many "be aware" postings like this.  I carry my own baseball bat--and you should see the rings I wear!  I also put a big male on alert.

My MLS, the Pinellas Realtor Organization, puts an alert on the first page. It's a page where they put current news or things we need to know....then we have to go to the bottom of the page to click and get to the actual mls site. I think this is very effective and useful. They also started something that would send out a mass text message to alert people. 

Here's a tip. If you are doing an open house alone, you could say my co-worker and I or my husband and I would like to welcome you to our open house. ...Oh he's showing some people the back yard or speaking to the neighbor. Or, you could record some voices on a tape recorder and just keep it playing in another room. You could also set up some props that make it look like two people are there.....two drinks...two chairs. Two purses  or a man's jacket.  Keep going with this..I'm sure there are more.

Wow at all the post...looks like it struck a nerve.

We have a code in our office. If you call the office and say bring the red file to xyz address...then it means you are in danger.

Also, call someone to let them know you are doing an open house and when you will be done ...calling them when you are done.

Kim

Thanks for taking the time to brief and remind us how important it is to be aware of your surroundings.

A good office policy would promote Agents at open houes staying in touch with the office at regular intervals. It may not be possible all the time, depending on traffic, however an effort should be made.

Thanks for sharing! There seems to be alot of posts surronding safety, I will head the warning.

Thanks for the post. Please see the post in AR newbies regarding the sad death of a beautiful 24 year old woman in Victoria BC over the weekend. It wasn't an open house, but a mysterious urgent showing. BE careful no matter where you go w/unknown customers.

That is really creepy. Thank goodness she knew what was going on. He needs to be apprehended and questioned. May be the cops should just stand outside his house for awhile!

Scarey situation.  I just chastised one of our agents the other day for getting into a pickup truck without letting anyone in the office know where she was going and who with.  Let's hope she's not a statistic waiting to happen.

Good reminder

I have started taking my husband with me to all my open houses....he doesn't say anything to the people that come in and if they ask who he is, I tell them he's there for my protection....it's as simple as that and they don't seem to mind at all.  The weirdos usually walk through and out without saying much....

Also, the problem with the sign in sheets is that most of the people who come in provide false information.  What do you do then? Ask them to see their I.D. before letting them in? And who's to say it's not a fake I.D.?

In any case, it's always a good idea to have someone you trust (family member, another agent, etc.) with you to make sure nothing happens...

Cheers!

I hope she informed the owner, just in case he returns.

Just last year we had nearly the same incident in our community. However, it is to my understanding that this particular female was not so lucky.  It sparked reminders for everyone on the steps we should take to be safe.  Some of the tips we work by in our office are these: 1) Always have emergency phone numbers programmed in your cell phone, 2) Always keep you car keys on your person (for a quick get-a-away and perhaps a weapon if needed), 3) ALWAYS know your exits and how the locks works, 4) Don't be afraid to notify neighbors that you are doing an open house (often times they are more than willing to keep an open eye for you) 5) When showing houses, if going alone, make sure someone knows your departure time, the addresses of the homes you are showing, and what time you anticipate a return, 6) AND, if it is available in your area, check the web sites for predators that may reside close to the home. All these rules go double for VACANTS!  I know this is all common sense, but I appreciated the refresher course as it's so easy to get comfortable doing what we do everyday!

I enjoyed this blog! Very important!

THANK you for bringing this out.  It is always good to remember, and in fact, my husband will be going with me to open house on Sunday. 

I’m not an agent, but was intrigued with this thread. And I like the idea of a “code” that some people are using.

But it got me thinking…would the same thing work if the seller were to ask one of their neighbors to participate?

The agent could also call the neighbor with a code. And at least that way someone could be there instantly. Even if they were just posing as a potential buyer, it could buy some time until the police got there.

Just a thought.

Good post!  Unfortunately, we do have to watch for "goof-balls" like the one that visited your open house.

Take a mortgage professional to open houses.  There's safety in numbers!  Also, you can see if visitors can actually afford to purchase a home!  If they can't buy the home featured in the open house, you might be able to find them another property.  It's a win for all! 

Be safe out there!

Kim, NAR has a safety video that all Agents should view. We live in a small town and most of the time our guard is down.  Thanks for getting us on the alert. 

I the comment about us being the only industry that advertises our names, pictures, phone #'s and then announces we will be in a house alone hits the nail on the head.  Would you put a neon sign out in front of your house that says, "I am home alone and waiting for someone to coem visit me!"????????  That's basically what an open house is.

Thanks for the reminder.  We all have to be alert whether it's in an open house or a showing.  I never show a home without a member of my team knowing where I am going and with whom.  We have so many vacant REO properties now in our area, that you have to be careful.  Also for open houses, I always have either my business partner or a lender with me - I had a disturbing experience several years ago and it cured me of holding homes open by myself!

Dealing with the public we are all prone to this.  Realtors have been preyed upon before.  Keep a watchful eye everyone

It is scary. I usually have another girl come with me to open houses.

Wow that is scary.  Great to see you posting this very important information sometimes I feel like I can take my safety for granted.   Lets stick together and keep safe!