What do fire fighters, police personnel and Realtors all have in common - besides the fact that they all enter houses? If you asked 100 people, the last thing anyone would say is that ALL THREE are dangerous professions, but all three can be. The Realtor has joined the ranks of those needing to be concerned about personal protection and self defense.

Think about it. The Realtor is quite often working late at night, probably alone in an office. They ride around in cars alone, again often late at night, to meet someone they might possibly have never met before. They pull up to a house or a commercial building that is empty, dark and find themselves entering - alone - to turn on all the lights and prepare an inviting atmosphere. Then the potential buyer arrives. This will be someone who the Realtor has only talked to on the phone. They do not know their mannerisms, their motives or their past. All they know is that they are dealing with strangers late at night in unfamiliar circumstances and that they are alone. Is the buyer alone? Did he or she show up with people the Realtor wasn't expecting? If it were not for the fact that you are a Realtor making an honest living, this scene could easily be played out in mental movies with drug lords as your cast of characters, or worse. Are you beginning to get the picture? Realtor safety is a big concern causing more and more real estate professionals to seek help in matters of self defense. They are also grasping the idea that personal protection has become a part of the trade.

In a survey completed by the National Association of Realtors, a full twenty-five percent of Realtors reported that they had been in unsafe incidents or harassing situations. That is one in four! Consider the people in your office. Which ones would you pick out to place in this situation? Remember you have to pick out one in four. Who in the next year will need to be concerned about self defense in a bad situation?

Consider this scenario: Crystal, a Realtor in a small town with twenty years of experience, thought she was in a safe profession...never concerned with her personal safety as a Realtor. She had developed quite a reputation and her name was on countless signs in yards all over town. Everyone knew her and she knew everyone, or so she thought. So she didn't think too much about it as she drove through the cold, winter night to meet another appointment. The house was in a nice section of town, the client seemed to be intelligent and fairly well to do; the perfect situation. She arrived early, as she always did, to prepare the scene. The potential buyer arrived shortly after and as the lights flickered in the picture window she remembered the car was nicer, a Cadillac she remembered, and she went to the door to meet the man. What she greeted was anything but what she was prepared for. The man, tall and probably 275 to 300 pounds, was not clean shaven, wore an army fatigue type jacket, blue jeans and ratty tennis shoes. Even though never one to judge a person by their appearance, a red flag immediately went up in Crystal's head. He never held eye contact and spoke with a mumble under his breath.

Crystal really didn't have anything to go on other than a gut feeling, but she didn't like the situation. Having some savvy about her she told the visitor that the owners were likely to be back at any time as they were just coming back from a trip. She gestured - didn't lead - the "buyer" through the house and followed him, not wanting to lead him into a room she could not retreat from. She showed him the basement stairs and allowed him to go down by himself to "inspect the mechanicals". When he came back up he had a different look in his eyes, one she couldn't interpret.

More about Crystal's story in a minute.

Scenes like this play out all across your neighborhood every day. Sure, most times Realtors are safe and the appointment goes off without a hitch. But that is "most times".
As a Realtor, how safe are you when you go out? Are you sure the person you are meeting is on the up and up? If you are a Broker have you gone over personal protection tips with your agents?

There are a few things you can practice to always be on the defensive and alert to avoid potentially harmful situations.

• Never have a first meeting at a home or building. Always meet first in your office so you can assess the situation. Your turf is safer than "their turf".
• Always leave a note or itinerary as to where you will be throughout the day. It is not only a good business practice, but should you not show up for your next appointment your office can backtrack to find you. They'll know where to look.
• Place yourself in situations where you are in control. This means putting yourself between the buyer and exits and knowing where those exits are. Drive your own car. Never ride with someone else. If you are uncomfortable about a situation make up an excuse ("You know, I've got the wrong file. Let me go out to my car and see if I've got it with me.") and then get out of there or call for an associate to come over. Pretend that person is bringing "the file".
• Carry a cell phone.
• Develop an office wide code word where if you are in a situation you can make up an excuse to call with: "Are there any gold offers on the _________ listing?" "Gold" is the key word. If any associate hears this they should know what to do. The fact that you name the listing always alerts them to your whereabouts.
• Don't set yourself up for being a target. It is nice to look professional and successful, but don't wear expensive jewelry or carry a lot of cash or credit cards. You should only carry what you need and a small key ring with just a couple of things on it.
• Don't park where you can be blocked in. Prepare to leave in a hurry if need be.

It is sad that the job of a Realtor is getting more and more dangerous and you have to think about self defense and personal protection, but it is also a sign of the times and those times are going to get worse before they get better. Keeping these tips in mind will help you be mentally alert for dangerous situations, and hopefully help to keep you out of harm's way.

Back to Crystal - what happened to her? That strange look on the man's face was one of intent to buy. Something triggered his "buy" mentality in the basement and he decided then and there this was his house - he wrote up an offer the next day.

But Crystal has often thought, "What if things had not turned out that way? What if I had been in a worse situation? How could I have been prepared?"

All of this mental diligence and planned preparation is great and needed, but there are a few things you can do to put the odds of a healthy retreat in your favor. All Out Security Solutions has put together several "Realtor Protection Packages" consisting of small items anyone can carry on a key chain or in a pocket, car or briefcase. Things like pepper spray concealed to look like a pen or container of lipstick will shoot up to ten feet, immobilizing your attacker long enough for you to get away. One hundred plus db alarms will call attention to your situation and are small enough to clip to your purse, key chain or jacket pocket. There are even stun guns designed to look like cell phones, dropping anyone to the floor if need be.

The rising crime environment makes your job as a Realtor all the more precarious all the time. Being prepared is the best personal defense - so that you can escape to sell another day!

To view a .pdf version of this report, please GO HERE

All Out Security Solutions has assembled three Self Defense and Personal Protection Packages especially for Realtors. And right now we are offering free bonus products, additional safety information and promotional discounts as part of these packages. Click on the link below and join the ranks of Realtors who already feel safer knowing their chances of making it home safely at night have already risen by taking a pro-active role.

Just Click HERE

 

Report Presented by:
All Out Security Solutions LLC
Goose Creek, SC
http://www.aoss-selfdefense.com