So many times we have all heard horror stories about a Realtor who, while sitting in a home alone during an Open House, has had a confrontation with an ill-intentioned visitor. At best, it has been an annoyance and at worst, it has resulted in tragedy. As a staging trainer, I have told many students to be prepared and put safety measures in place while staging, to make sure they lock the doors and keep their cell phones with them at all times.

Well, last week, I realized how important it is to take my own advice. While staging a vacant home in a new build community I noticed a rusty van cruising past at an uncomfortably slow pace. It was near dusk and my assistant and I were trying to finish up after a very long day. I thought it was strange to see this dilapidated vehicle in a high-end custom home development but became increasingly concerned as the van came back by several times with the driver clearly checking out the property. I said something to my assistant who by this time had noticed the van as well. She informed me at this point that she had already taken our purses (with cell phones inside) to the truck. There we were, alone in the house with no way to contact anyone, as the realization of just how vulnerable we were dawned on us. There were no neighbors near-by as all the homes were in various stages of being built.

We saw that the guy in the van had parked in a cul-de-sac about 1/4 mile up the street. He was just sitting there. We quickly secured the property, gathered our things, went to our truck, locked the doors and left. My hands were shaking as I locked the front door and put the key in the lock-box. After calling the local police to report the suspicious van, we were a bit unnerved on the ride home. We both knew how lucky we were that day as the outcome could have been much different. I know my staging apron has pockets for a reason. The most important of which is to keep my well-charged cell phone on my person at all times. We just cannot become lax about making sure we are safe while working. Luckily for us, we have the opportunity to learn this without having to suffer what could have been serious consequences.