How to Thrive as a Real Estate Agent

By Harry J. Lew

Being a real estate agent is a public-facing job. But unlike people who work in a store or who do customer service over the phone, those who sell real estate engage with the public face-to-face in private spaces. This leaves them vulnerable to theft, assault, or worse.

As we mentioned in part 1 of this series, crime against real estate agents is not an isolated event. According to a 2018 Inman survey, almost one out of 10 agents reported being attacked or threatened at work. What’s more, 40 percent of REALTORS^® in a National Association of REALTORS^® (NAR) survey said they felt unsafe at work every few months or more frequently. And only five percent said they never felt personally unsafe while working.

In our article, we also mentioned several high-profile cases of real estate agents getting assaulted or even murdered while on the job. These victims reported to work as they’ve done for years. But a criminal changed their lives forever (or ended it).

Finally, we concluded the article by discussing the real estate brokerage industry’s safety best practices. According to NAR’s 2018 Member Safety Report, 71 percent of agents said their office had policies for keeping customer information safe and for assuring proper disposal of client data. But only 46 percent said their offices had standard safety practices on the books. What’s more, 27 percent said their brokerage had no safety procedures, in place, while 27 percent said they weren’t sure if it did or not.

The fact that over half of real estate firms likely had no safety policies in force suggests that agents are too often on their own regarding this matter. In other words, devising and adhering to a safety plan rests on their shoulders alone. So what about you? Have you risen to the challenge of keeping yourself safe? Or are you assuming nothing bad will ever happen?

If you fall into the latter camp, the time has come to change your thinking. Take responsibility for your safety and implement sensible safety best practices in all your dealings with the public. Start by dispelling safety myths.

Common safety myths

Safety myths are beliefs that lull agents into complacency. Here are six common ones: 

• Thinking it won’t happen to you. "This is pure wishful thinking, a dangerous form of self-delusion," says Kenny Kelley, CEO of Silent Beacon, LLC, maker of a Bluetooth^® wearable device that calls 911 with a single button push. “Denial tricks us into taking our personal safety for granted and deludes us into believing we can anticipate any problem, overcome any challenge, and prevail against any attacker.” Instead, he advises agents to practice self-awareness. This involves reality testing their assumptions before they conduct their next open house.
• Thinking your smartphone will protect you. According to NAR’s 2018 Member Safety Report, 47 percent of REALTORS^® use phone apps to call for help and/or enable others to track them. Problem is, 30 percent of agents rely on Apple’s “Find My iPhone” feature to bail them out. Big mistake. One of the first things an attacker will do, Kelly says, is take away your phone. A phone safety app is useless if you no longer possess your phone.
• Thinking your self-defense weapon will save you. Kelley adds that “feeling safe and being safe are two different things.” If an attacker grabs your weapon, he (or she) can use it against you. Or if you fail to use your weapon correctly, you might injure yourself or a bystander or just enrage your assailant. If you insist on carrying a weapon, something more real estate agents are doing these days, get training on how to use it and practice with it frequently.
• Thinking that working in affluent communities will protect you. This is a commonly held myth and one that can get you killed. It’s true that well-off communities generally have less crime. But that refers to overall crime statistics. For crimes directed specifically at real estate professionals, affluent communities can still be dangerous. That’s because criminals know homes in rich areas are more likely to contain expensive property. Plus, the agents showing those homes are more likely to drive expensive cars and, perhaps, carry more cash. In effect, affluent neighborhoods can be magnets for people with criminal intent.
• Thinking that daytime showings are less risky than evening ones. The belief that nighttime showings are more dangerous is a fallacy. According to Tracey Hawkins, founder and CEO of Safety and Security Source, most crimes directed at real estate agents occur during the day. This means you should be as alert and as protected by your safety devices and weapons during the daytime as you are at night.
• Thinking it’s OK to drive around without emergency roadside equipment. As someone who frequently drives to showings and open houses, you can’t assume your vehicle will get you to where you need to be. Sometimes it will break down, potentially stranding you in a dangerous neighborhood. To protect yourself against this contingency, always carry a tire air compressor, jumper cables (or a portable starting battery), a spare tire and jack, and reflective warning devices or flares to prevent other vehicles from hitting you while you’re changing a flat tire or waiting for help. It goes without saying that you should always have an active membership to an emergency roadside assistance service such as AAA.

Once you debunk such myths, it’s time to implement a comprehensive safety approach for your real estate career. Here are some key practices to consider adopting.

The first is the need to develop situational awareness. It’s easy to get wrapped up in one’s thoughts, especially while driving to or conducting a showing or open house. But when you are “in” your mind instead of attending to your environment, you become more vulnerable to crime.

What to do? Consciously focus your senses on your environment at all times. Who is near you? What are they doing? Who is approaching you? What exactly are people holding? What are their body postures and facial expressions? Focusing on these questions and more will provide an early warning to imminent attack.

Safety Tips for Showing Properties

To safely show properties, it’s important to develop an Agent Safety Protocol (ASP), says John Graden, executive director of Cobra-Defense, a real estate self-defense and safety training company. The protocol starts before the appointment. When you’re speaking with the prospect to set up a showing, tell the person you will have another colleague with you. Even if false, this will serve as a deterrent. Then arrive early at the property so you can do the following: 

• Take ten seconds to evaluate the site to see if anything is out of line.
• Open selected windows to allow for a quick exit.
• Unlock doors.
• Open the lockbox so you can get the key before the prospect arrives.
• Wait in your cars with locked doors.
• Text your office with information about the prospect.
• Be aware of your surroundings.

Then when the prospect arrives, carefully assess the person’s behavior, clothing, and posture. If something feels “off,” depart the scene immediately. If everything looks good, then exit your vehicle, but keep your distance. Keeping far apart reduces the chances you’ll get jumped. Then ask the person to stand next to his or her vehicle license plate so you can take a photo. Then text the photo to your office. If the person objects, leave the scene.

Also, ask to see the person’s photo ID. Then take a photo of it and text it to your office.

If nothing appears unusual or threatening by this point, direct the person to enter the property. Always let people go first. After you enter, keep the person in your field of vision. Also, keep yourself close to a means of egress. As the person checks out each room, position yourself behind the prospect and near a door. But avoid attics, basements, and small rooms; just let prospects view those areas by themselves.

Finally, remind the person that your colleague will be there momentarily.

Other showing tips include:

• Try to avoid showing properties after dark.
• Call or text the office during the showing to let colleagues know you’re OK.
• Prepare an escape scenario in advance. For example, tell the person your phone beeper went off, which means you need to return immediately to the office.
• Don’t bring your purse or valet/briefcase into the house with a prospect; lock it in your car trunk.
• Park at the curb in front of a property, not in the driveway. This will make it easier for you to make an escape rather than having to back out of the driveway.
• Prepare a distress code that you can text to a colleague. Or use a Bluetooth beeper.
• Keep your cellphone and car keys on your person at all times.
• Finally, always pay heed to your instincts. If something feels wrong, then it is wrong. Escape immediately.

Safety Tips for Open Houses

Many of the tips we just mentioned also apply to open houses. Here are some others that apply only to open houses. 

• Avoid working an open house alone, especially if the property is large and you’re expecting a lot of visitors.
• Advise the property owner to remove or lock all valuable property before the open house, since it will be difficult for you to monitor each and every visitor during the event.
• Have all open house visitors sign in as soon as they arrive. Ask for their full name, along with their phone number, address, and email.
• During the open house, keep an eye on everyone entering and leaving the home. Again, be aware of everything around you.
• At the end of the open house, don’t assume everyone has left. Do a quick walk through of the home and yard to make sure the house is empty. Then lock all windows and doors and draw the curtains and shades to protect the owner’s property from prying eyes.

Consider these showings/open house tips a 101-level guide to agent safety. Commit to making them part of your work routine. Also, consider taking self-defense training and, if you’re packing a weapon, instruction on how to wield it safely.

Finally, if you’re a REALTOR^®, take advantage of NAR’s many safety resources. Because at the end of the day, staying safe as a real estate agent or broker is a matter of growing new skills and habits. Becoming a student of safety may one day mean the difference between getting hurt or murdered at work and escaping unscathed. Surely, the latter is a much better option.

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