Opioid crisis presents additional risks to Realtors

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Published Date 12/8/2017

Real estate agents have always had a dangerous job, often meeting strangers alone in empty houses. With the current drug crisis, agents should be especially cautious when dealing with new clients for the first time.

San Antonio Realtor Janice Tisdale accepted an appointment with a seemingly interested buyer for a high-end property. Once inside the home, he assaulted her, striking her over the head, then holding her hostage, demanding money from her. She managed to escape. The assailant, a drug addict with multiple convictions, was arrested and is now serving a 60-year sentence for aggravated robbery.

While most agents—especially female agents—are aware of the risks of the profession, it is always prudent to keep those risks in mind and to have a safety strategy in place. Here are some tips that have served both seasoned veterans and newcomers to the industry well.

Always meet your client in your office before showing them the property. Do not meet them for the first time at the home alone. Know who your client is; while they are in your office, scan or photograph their photo identification. Introduce them by name to one or more coworkers. If you leave the office with that new client to show them a property, make sure you inform someone where you are going—and when you expect to return.

Many agents perform background checks on prospective clients before meeting with them outside the office. Companies like Forewarn, SecureShow, and others offer this service and provide instant checks on the subscriber’s desktop or smartphone.

5% of the 150,000 real estate agents working today have reported being attacked on the job in some way. Many are now carrying some form of self-defense devices, including pepper spray, tasers and even concealed firearms.

Open houses present special dangers. As you are preparing the house for showing, unlock all deadbolts and plan multiple escape routes. Know the escape routes from the back and side yards: unlock gates to permit a quick getaway if necessary.

Canvass the neighborhood around your listing. It’s good marketing practice and neighbors who know you can be lifesavers in an emergency.

Your cell phone, apart from being an essential business tool, can be your lifeline. Keep it fully charged—and in your hand, not in your pocket or purse. Investigate “safety apps” for your phone. These can quickly send a distress signal to a predetermined person, and transmit your precise location.

Create a “distress signal” to inform a coworker that you are in trouble without alerting the “client” who makes you uneasy. You might arrange to say, “Could you please look up the red file?” to let your colleague know that you are in trouble and need immediate help.

Always park where you can make a quick getaway—don’t let yourself get boxed in. If the home you are showing is on a cul de sac, park your car so you can drive straight away, rather than having to make a U-turn. Keep your keys close at hand, not buried in your purse or pocket.

Above all, be aware of your surroundings. When you are showing a home, always have your client walk ahead of you so you can keep them in view. Do not allow yourself to be cornered in a small room, such as a bathroom or walk-in closet.

Finally, if you find yourself in a desperate situation, the most effective way to get help is to yell “FIRE” at the top of your lungs, not “help.”

Source: TBWS

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