I often think, as real estate agents, we tend to forget how important it is to keep ourselves safe.  We enjoy working with the public, while performing our jobs.  But, the world isn't the same place it has been in the past.  There have been incidents of agents being robbed, raped, and murdered while holding properties open, showing property, or in other performance of our job.

Fortunately, many real estate firms have created protocols and procedures to help keep their agents safe and more secure.  And it is important to follow those procedures.

It is important to try to ascertain before working with customers, their work, physical addresses, phone & cell numbers.  Try contacting the customer at one or more of the numbers.  Also, try doing a Google search of the customer to see if you can get a match.

When they come to the office, make sure you or one or someone from your office, writes down their license plate number and notes the type of car they re driving.  You may even consider asking to make a copy of the customer driver's license.

Before leaving the office to show property.  Leave an itinerary of properties you are planning to show, and check in often as possible by cell phone, or ask someone at the office to call you occasionally.

If you are an agent that works primarily out of you home office, consider emailing a "showing" itinerary to a family member, or co-worker, with the name and contact information of the client.  Also give an estimate time of return to your home office, and instruct that you will email as soon as you are finished to allow family members or co-workers to know you have returned safely.

It is also suggested that you never get into a car with someone you do not know.  Use your vehicle for showings, or ask your customer to follow you in another car. 

On About.com, there are the following safety tips for real estate agents: 

• Carry a cell phone in your pocket and program it to dial 911 at the touch of a button
• Never work at a public open house by yourself
• Do not show vacant properties by yourself unless you know your customers
• Carry pepper spray or mace in your pocket, but be sure to get the type that can be aimed at a specific target (some are general and might affect you as much as they do your attacker)
• Let your customers enter a room while you stay by the door
• Pay attention to exits
• Trust your instincts. Ask someone else to accompany you to show or list property if you feel uncomfortable about the people you are working with.
• Don't assume that women are safer customers, because they are as capable of armed robbery as a man and sometimes work with a partner who waits at the house for the two of you to arrive.

If your office doesn't have safety procedures, ask your broker in charge to conduct a meeting where agents can work together to devise and implement a plan that keeps you all a safe as possible while you're showing real estate.

There are more real estate safety tips available at:

http://homebuying.about.com/od/realestatecareers/a/safety_tips.htm

Stay Safe:

Myrl Jeffcoat
http://www.myrljeffcoat.com