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In episode 89 of The Walkthrough\u2122<\/a>, Hawkins makes several critical recommendations that encourage agents to be more proactive about safety. We\u2019ve summed them up for you in six safety tips that will, hopefully, persuade you to consider prioritizing safety. Hawkins also shared\u00a0 a bonus tip on turning safety into profitability.<\/p>\n If you feel like you\u2019re in danger, follow your instincts. \u201cEvery animal in nature has that ability to detect whether or not they\u2019re in danger. The only problem is that we are the only animals who choose to ignore that voice,\u201d says Hawkins. She says we are so concerned with being polite, hurting someone\u2019s feelings, or looking silly later, that we ignore the voice that\u2019s telling us we\u2019re in danger. Get out of there, and apologize later if you need to.<\/p>\n This is especially important at open houses. Place signs throughout the property, starting from the front door, that say, \u201cSmile, you are on camera.\u201d Hawkins encourages using signs whether there are cameras or not. \u201cWe act differently when we know there are cameras present,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n According to the NAR 2021 Member Safety Report<\/a>, 37% of real estate agents did open houses alone, and 43% have shown vacant properties in locations where there is poor phone service. Hawkins recommends never doing open houses alone, but if you have no choice, she says you should at least give the impression that you\u2019re not going to be alone for long. When you\u2019re welcoming a potential buyer into a house, let them know that you\u2019ve got another agent coming with their clients soon.<\/p>\n In the case of a first-time meeting with a client, Hawkins suggests meeting at your office or even the title company you frequently use to increase the potential that you\u2019ll have witnesses as you meet. If those are not an option, meeting at a coffee shop or restaurant that you frequent, where you\u2019re recognized by the people that work there, serves the same purpose.<\/p>\n If you can\u2019t schedule a meeting in a familiar location, then Hawkins says to try a virtual meeting on Zoom or FaceTime. That way, you can see them and get a sense of who they are. You also now have a photo captured of them.<\/p>\n That means removing that butcher block on the kitchen counter and locking up or concealing those Birkin bags and Chanels that are usually on display in your closet. Laptops, jewelry boxes, medicine, and of course, guns should be either removed from the house or locked up in a discreet location. This should be done soon after you list a house on the market. Be sure to do a recheck before each open house.<\/p>\n You should know who you\u2019re meeting. Hawkins advises that you check a client\u2019s social media and websites to gather information, and to even go a step further by utilizing an affordable app like Forewarn<\/a>. This company says that with their technology, a simple name search will positively identify over 80% of people and provide invaluable information about that person\u2019s background.<\/p>\n Every agent should have a safety partner. Letting someone else know where you are is paramount. Hawkins suggests using Google Maps<\/a> to send your location information to that person as soon as you arrive at your destination, and inform the client that you are doing so.<\/p>\n Before showing a house, make sure you know where all of the exits are, both in the house and\u00a0 in the neighborhood, in case you have to get out quickly. In addition to this, while showing a house, always let the client go into every room first and lead the way. This allows you to have more control of a situation if you need to get out of a room.<\/p>\n Hawkins teaches that leading with safety is a tool that can be used to grow your business and translate into dollars. She suggests adding the topic of safety to listing presentations and using the Safe Seller Security Checklist as a tool when speaking to FSBOs. She believes safety-trained agents can stand out from other agents and get more listings by letting homeowners know that safety is a top priority, in addition to marketing a seller’s property.<\/p>\n \u201cThe agent who is safety-trained is walking in with the security checklist and they’re saying, \u2018Here’s what we need to do to make sure you are safe, your family is safe, and your possessions are safe and secure while your house is on the market,\u2019\u201d says Hawkins. She says that when agents attach their business card to the safety tip pamphlet, \u201ctheir business card will rise to the top of the stack when that FSBO sees these 13 safety tips that they never thought about.\u201d<\/p>\n Unfortunately, safety training isn\u2019t mandatory in most markets. However, Hawkins strongly believes that if broker\/managers create a safety culture, more agents will decide to become safety-trained.<\/p>\n \u201cSafety isn\u2019t sexy,\u201d says Hawkins. Or relevant, that is, until something bad happens.<\/p>\n Just this past January, REALTOR\u00ae Magazine<\/a> ran a story, originally reported by WCBI.com<\/a>, about a 44-year-old man that had been arrested for allegedly threatening to ambush and sexually assault real estate agents in several counties across Mississippi. The man also claims to have already carried out his threats four times.<\/p>\n Whether agents feel unsafe or not is not the issue. The fact is, everyone is at risk, and anyone can be a target, no matter where or what time of day a home is being shown. Make a decision to be proactive by placing safety as a top priority in your business, and take those necessary precautions to stay safe and protect yourself and your clients.<\/p>\n Header Image Source: (Mike Higginson \/ Shutterstock)<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In real estate, safety is often overlooked. It\u2019s one of the most dangerous jobs a person can have, but agents regularly prioritize getting a new client and trying to earn more business. In this article, real estate safety expert Tracey Hawkins shares tips to make safety both a priority and profitable.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":337,"featured_media":32156,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[193,671,665],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-32154","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-for-agents","category-work-life","category-safety"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nSafety Tip #1: Trust your gut<\/h2>\n
Safety Tip #2: Create witness potential<\/h2>\n
Safety Tip #3: Get all valuables and potential weapons out of sight<\/h2>\n
Safety Tip #4: Google the person before meeting them face-to-face<\/h2>\n
Safety Tip #5: Once you get to the property, be sure to check in with someone<\/h2>\n
Safety Tip #6: Know where your exits are located<\/h2>\n
Bonus Tip: Turn safety into profitability<\/h2>\n