How Safe is Your Profession?
Written by Jim Shea, March 19, 2006

A particular area of concern regarding crimes involving real estate agents being attacked is on the rise nationwide. Several incidents have been reported where an agent is spending the day at an empty house for the purposes of an "open house" event. Open House events can be popular targets for attacks due to the simple fact that an attacker assumes that at some point during the day, the real estate agent will be alone and vulnerable. The attacker can sit outside the home and simply wait until all visitors have left, which usually occurs in the late afternoon. The attacker will then pose as a home "shopper", and will quickly be invited into the home by the agent. Once inside the home, the risk of danger is heightened and almost anything can happen behind closed doors.

What Can You Do to Ensure Your Personal Safety?

Use Common Sense and Follow These Tips
That May Save Your Life:

Don't Go it Alone:
If at all possible travel with a companion or partner when showing a property. The very presence of another person is usually enough to curb an attack. Someone with a mutual interest in the property will be happy to accompany you in most cases.

Don't Assume the Neighborhood is Safe:
Just because you may be showing a home in an upscale neighborhood doesn't mean there is less of a risk. Many would-be attackers are browsing the very newspapers that are advertising your open house event, and they may even prefer an upscale neighborhood where safety and security are not a major concern.

If You Must go Alone to a Showing or Open House:
Stay inside and keep all doors locked until a client arrives. Be sure to carry a cell phone in case you need to call 911. Check in often, like every hour or half hour to let your office or your family know your location and that you are safe.

When a Potential Buyer Shows up at the Door:
If you are alone, pretend as if you are speaking on your cell phone and say these words loud enough for the visitor to hear before you open the door: "Ok then-- you'll be here in about 10 minutes? Great, I'll look for you then, I have a client at the door, talk to you soon." If the person at the door is not an attacker, then no harm done - and you didn't offend anyone. However, if you were in danger the person at the door now thinks that someone is on the way to see you, and hopefully will think twice and leave the premises.

Protect Yourself:
In the event that you were to find yourself in a situation that warranted self defense on your part, carrying a personal protection device such as pepper spray, a stun gun, or taser can provide peace of mind and adequate protection. By far, the pepper spray is the easiest method to use and doesn't require any training, and it allows you to be up to 15 feet away from your attacker when you use it. This gives you ample time to run away and call for help. Be sure to leave the area completely, as pepper spray will subdue your attacker temporarily. Don't hang around to see what happens.

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