How Safe Are You?

Great reminder to be careful. Seems like when I read this kind of article I get concerned and do my safety things real well for a while, and slowly slack off. I think it is important to keep it going, because bad things often happen when we let out guard down. 

What I do is drive in separate cars and allow the 'looker' to park in the driveway. I park on the street. The before I get out of the car, I dial a friend that will listen while I show the house. She has my addresses for the trip and can hear all. My phone is in my had, palmed the entire time. Nobody is paying much attention and it is obvious if a problem comes up. If you have a friend or relative that would do this for you, it is the best I have have come up with. If you have an elderly or disabled friend or relative, you kill two birds with one stone so to speak. The person on the other end feels important and needed. 

I appreciate the reminder!

Ricki...good awareness post.....

In today's local paper, some guy pleaded guilty for raping and stabbing a lone Real Estate female agent. He lived a few doors down from the vacant house she was just visiting. He saw her go in.....and you get the picture. Ladies, team-up please......thank you

Very good reminder for all of us. It's important to have a safety program in place that you actually follow.

Many good points raised here and some that I need to do better with.

Ricki - This is one of the areas we seem to want to "put our head in the sand" about.  Personal and property safey are issues that we "bring up" however, it rarely seems to provoke long term discussion.  When we do get involved in dialog, it seems it is usually around "stories of what happened" and not prevention methods.  Thanks for focusing on both!

This is always a good topic to bring up, no matter where you are.  I posted an article this morning talking about open houses and the oddballs that sometimes show up, including dangerous people.  We're in a business that deals with a lot of fruits and nuts so we've got to stay sharp.

Excellent topic.  Although I'm a direct lender & not a RE agent, I never meet clients after hours in my office unless I know someone else will be there.  If I need to drive to a bad area of town, then I call from my cell when I arrive & tell my assistant that I've arrived, and that I will call when I'm back in the truck.  It makes me feel safer knowing someone else is aware of what I'm doing and where I am.

Agents have to be even more careful.  Great informative blog.

I just read an article in our local paper this morning about a female realtor that was going to trial to put her attacker away for life.  The attacker met her at a vacant bank repo and quickly assaulted her leaving her for dead.  Couldn't believe what I was reading...it was right in our backyard here in Southern California.  Cant overemphasize this point especially now that we are showing alot of vacant property.

Great topic, we can never be too careful.

Your post is filled with valuable information for us to remember.

We often have a false sense of security when working. My company (CIR Realty) has provided self defense classes for us and I also carry dog spray. I will never meet a new client without them coming to my office where I meet with them and get their identification. A lot of people are very hesitant and do not want to come in, but I figure I am a prime target and it is not worth my life. Good safety tips.

Ricki, Thank you for the reminder that this is Realtor Safety Month. I am going to print your article and give to all my agents today at our roundtable meeting!

PS love  your bluebonnet header!

We had a Realtor murdered here some years ago who went to meet a stranger out in the country. Never solved.  I can't say enough times how important it is to be careful!