Realtor Safety

For the Public

Would you do this?

• Post announcements on social media and elsewhere that you will be alone in a vacant house and give everyone the time and address where you will be alone in the home!
• Answer your phone and the person on the other end wants you to meet them at a vacant house. You know little to nothing about the person but you make an appointment to meet them at a vacant house.

Sounds crazy and dangerous right?

Now frame both of those scenarios with house hunting! Have you visited an open house? Or made an appointment with an agent to see a home? What did that real estate professional know about you before you entered the open house, or met you at their listing?

Real Estate Can be Dangerous

The general public thinks nothing of visitng an open house, or clicking a button on an Internet site and asking a professional to meet them at a home. But think about this from a Realtor’s prospective for a second. They are willing to meet the public in hopes of making a sale.

When they ask you to sign in at the open house, or ask for some information about you and your buying ability, please understand they are not only determining if you are a possible client. They are making sure you are a safe person and securing their safety! Agents have been attacked, and killed meeting prospective clients. When we ask a few questions, ask you to sign in, or ask to see ID, just realize we are making sure you are among the wonderful 99% of the population who are generally nice people! We are protecting ourselves and the homes we are selling against the 1%.

Have a second person, or a stormtrooper, at the open house!

For My Fellow Realtors

We know the dangers of meeting the public in vacant homes but we still do it! Make sure you are doing all you can to first protect yourself, and then protecting the home! At The Schneider Realty Group we have been having these conversations more frequently of late! We have decided we MUST let others know when/where we will be meeting new clients. We will ASK lenders, family members, or other agents to sit with us at open houses. And we will HAVE some form of personal protection with us! We are much more aware that it is OK, encouraged even, to call the police whenever we have a concern! We have gone over the other strategies which can help us, and the home sellers, avoid becoming a victim! We are a team as Tri-City Realtors, contact me anytime to talk safety!