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Real Estate Safety Essential Protocol

By
Real Estate Broker/Owner with Realty One Group BRE 01230211 & 01919354

Hello Fellow Real Estate Agents,

 

I figure I might start this blog in the form of a letter. This will show the urgency and give it some credibility to the importance of the topic to real estate agents. As a member of my local education committee board, my task was to locate a safety video and questions that we should ask when first meeting a new client.

 

Image by Americantrustescrow.com

 

 

I found many videos that showed the importance of safety protocol. However, the following stood out. NAR created it. It is short to the point, and it covers many of the precautions that we should practice in our daily life. September is realtor safety month. It is merely a time for all of us to reflect on safety precautions. However, we should practice on a daily basis. From the time we first learned to crawl, we have been told not to talk to strangers or go into a car with strangers. Our profession is one of the riskiest business, where we are constantly dealing with total strangers and meeting clients at all hours of the day and night. Precaution is not only a protocol but essential for our safety.

 

Recently, on July 19th, a creepy shed was discovered in Abilene with local realtors headshots. Police were dispatched to the home. However, the resident was not charged as no crime has yet to be committed. So fellow Realtors; take precaution, follow your brokerage safety protocol.

 

The four most dangerous and riskiest situations for any agent is when one meets a client at a vacant home, when one must show a property alone, meeting a client alone for the first time and during open houses. However, isn't this the bulk part of our daily activity? Be prepared, alert and follow your 6th sense. Your life might depend on it.

 

I came across 4 essential forms that all brokerage should utilize:

 

1. Office safety action plan - Set up an emergency or distress code that all agents can use when they feel they are in a distress situation.

2. Agent Identification form - Fill out the form in case your coworkers need to locate you or your car.

3. Prospect Identification form - Essential to meet clients at your office and have the form filled out.

4. Agent Itinerary form - I know our itinerary is always changing. However, this form might be our life vest during a distress situation.

 

Be Safe out there my fellow real estate agents.

 

Your,

Co-worker

 

Video by NAR
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Stavrula "Sam" Crafa, RNC,GRI, CDPE, PSA
Future Home Realty - Seminole, FL
Providing the integrity and service you deserve.

One must always think of staying safe and never take that for granted. i always have a lender sit an open house with me. I have even asked insurance people to be with me at an open house. Can/t be too careful. 

Jul 28, 2017 09:32 PM
Scott Seaton Jr. SLS Home Insp
SLS Home Inspections-Kankakee Will Iroquois Grundy Counties - Bourbonnais, IL
The Home Inspector With a Heart!

I imagine this would also apply to a home inspector, as many times I am the only person at a vacant home, especially if the buyer is from out of state and won't be attending the inspection. Anyone passing by might see it as an opportunity. 

Jul 29, 2017 03:27 AM
John Wiley
Fort Myers, FL
Lee County, FL, ECO Broker, GRI, SRES,GREEN,PSA

Safety is becoming a more often discussed topic.

Thanks for contributing your tips.

Jul 29, 2017 06:11 AM
Joan Cox
House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 - Denver, CO
Denver Real Estate - Selling One Home at a Time

Les & Sarah, our safety should ALWAYS be put first, never chasing after the next transaction.  Our 6th sense is our savior, pay attention to it.  Great post.

Jul 29, 2017 06:41 AM
Les & Sarah Oswald
Realty One Group - Eastvale, CA
Broker, Realtor and Investor

Debbie Reynolds - Our safety should be at the forefront of all our activities. We should never put our guards down no matter what. A local agent who represents investors on flips was contacted by an interested buyer over a period of 3 months, come to find out later he was just stalking her. 

Jul 29, 2017 04:05 PM
Les & Sarah Oswald
Realty One Group - Eastvale, CA
Broker, Realtor and Investor

Dorie Dillard - I also want to thank Debbie Reynolds for the repost. Glad you found the agent ID form helpful.

Roy Kelley  -  Personal safety should be our priority. Afterall, we only have one chance at this thing called life.

 

Jul 29, 2017 04:08 PM
Les & Sarah Oswald
Realty One Group - Eastvale, CA
Broker, Realtor and Investor

Belinda Spillman - I know exactly what you mean. When that phone rang, I use to lose all common sense.

Sheila Anderson  - Thank you! I never thought this would be featured. But I am glad the topic is brought to the forefront for everyone's safety.

Richie Alan Naggar - The stories I am hearing and reading are scary enough to make me want to change career. (Do you remember what happened to our local OC agent in Corona  about 2 years ago)

Jul 29, 2017 04:14 PM
Les & Sarah Oswald
Realty One Group - Eastvale, CA
Broker, Realtor and Investor

Jeff Dowler - Too easy. Hope this blog will help in someway change the practices from the top down starting from the brokerages.

Georgie Hunter R(S) 58089 - That was just too creepie. The sad part is that authorities can't do anything about it.

Vickie Teel - If only 1 agent takes more precaution when meeting a stranger. I have succeeded.

Jul 29, 2017 04:21 PM
Les & Sarah Oswald
Realty One Group - Eastvale, CA
Broker, Realtor and Investor

Marte Cliff - I agree. One never knows who might walk in. So work in teams or invite a lender to hold it open alongside.

Stavrula "Sam" Crafa, RNC,GRI, CDPE, PSA - It is awesome to hear that you are taking precautions and preventative steps. What we need to prevent is the crime of opportunity.

Scott Seaton Jr. Bourbonnais Kankakee IL Home Inspector - I would be questioning of the buyer's agent is not present at the inspection. But that is another topic.

Jul 29, 2017 04:28 PM
Les & Sarah Oswald
Realty One Group - Eastvale, CA
Broker, Realtor and Investor

John Wiley - Thanks. I hope you had the opportunity to look thru some of the 4 forms. I especially recommend using something similar to the prospect identification form.

Joan Cox - We should all listen to our 6th sense. But that is not enough; preventative precautions are essential in this digital day and age.

Jul 29, 2017 04:32 PM
Dorte Engel
RE/MAX Leading Edge - Bowie, MD
ABC - Annapolis, Bowie, Crofton & rest of Maryland

Dear Les & Sarah,

Unfortunately, I have heard of cases for all sorts of Realtors. Keep your eyes & ears open at all times.

Jul 29, 2017 05:08 PM
Debbie Reynolds, C21 Platinum Properties
Platinum Properties- (931)771-9070 - Clarksville, TN
The Dedicated Clarksville TN Realtor-(931)320-6730

I will be atending a safety class next month to see if there is anything new I should be on the lookout for. This is a very important topic.

Jul 29, 2017 07:08 PM
Nathan Gesner
American West Realty and Management - Cody, WY
Broker / Property Manager

Nice blog. A lot of safety training focuses on how to get yourself out of trouble by keeping your cell phone or some kind of weapon in your hand, staying in common areas, etc. But the best defense is to avoid trouble! Proper preparation will ensure you never get into a sticky situation in the first place.

Jul 30, 2017 06:19 AM
Roy Kelley
Retired - Gaithersburg, MD

Good Tuesday morning. Thank you very much for your comments on my blog.

Aug 08, 2017 03:38 AM
Lou Ludwig
Ludwig & Associates - Boca Raton, FL
Designations Earned CRB, CRS, CIPS, GRI, SRES, TRC

Les and Sarah

Your post make a great point . . . . Safety first should be the first consideration with all real estate professionals.

Good luck and success.

Lou Ludwig

Aug 15, 2017 06:21 PM
Lou Ludwig
Ludwig & Associates - Boca Raton, FL
Designations Earned CRB, CRS, CIPS, GRI, SRES, TRC

Les and Sarah

Congratulations on the feature for you  post with an important message to the real estate industry.

Good luck and success.

Lou Ludwig

Aug 15, 2017 06:24 PM
Don Hess
KW Elite Keller Williams 1280 Plaza Blvd. Lancaster, PA 17601 - Quarryville, PA

It's far to easy to get caught up in the possibility of a sale and forget these precautions. 

Aug 23, 2017 02:16 PM
Patricia Feager, ABR,CRS,GRI,MRP
DFW FINE PROPERTIES - Flower Mound, TX
Selling Homes Changing Lives

What a wonderful feature story! We can never let our guard down. Though much of this is common sense, agents fall into routines. These are wonderful tips and NAR's video is very well done too! Thank you for this excellent feature worthy post and I hope to see many more written by you!

Aug 29, 2017 03:29 PM
Debe Maxwell, CRS
Savvy + Company (704) 491-3310 - Charlotte, NC
The RIGHT CHARLOTTE REALTOR!

Wonderful topic for National Realtor® Safety Month and I do like that video - it's certainly one that should be shared with all sign-callers, etc.  This way, they don't think we're off our rockers when we ask to meet at the office, making copies of their licenses & pre-approval letters!

Congrats on the feature also, Les & Sarah!

Sep 03, 2017 07:28 PM
LaShonda Solomon
Atlanta Communities Real Estate Brokerage - Kennesaw, GA
Serving Cobb, Paulding, Douglas, Bartow Counties

Since a great deal of my business comes from referrals, I often did not consider my own personal safety.  However, some referrals do not even know the person that they referred to you.  I may be the friend of a relative, a coworkers neighbor, or even someone that they met in the grocery store.  So now, I take precautionary steps.  Thanks for sharing this article. 

Sep 08, 2017 10:11 AM