The FBI operates a website dedicated specifically to internet crime. Image: FBI.gov

September is REALTOR® Safety Month! This is the second of two articles covering safety issues of particular interest to RMLS™ subscribers.

Remember the days when frauds and scams were easier to recognize and seemed like the type of things “other people” had to worry about? Technological advances have brought plenty of new tools, devices, and apps to improve organization and efficiency. Unfortunately the sophistication and prevalence of frauds and scams has advanced just as quickly.

AWARENESS

At any time, there are a number of common frauds and scams circulating both locally and globally. It used to be simpler to detect email scams, whether by blatantly odd email addresses or oddly conjugated messages—but former red flags are getting more difficult to detect, as scammers’ methods are continuously gaining sophistication. Here are a few red flags to look for.

Emails regarding wire transfers or containing wire transfer information: RED FLAG

Double and triple check your contact’s email address. Hackers will often observe email correspondence discussing wire transfers, then intercept the communication, posing as your contact. They imitate the language used in previous correspondence and include wire transfer information funneling into a fraudulent account. Often, the account is emptied and closed as soon as the wire transfer has occurred.

What to look for
Check the email address and carefully confirm its validity. For example, if you are expecting an email from angel.rmls@123.com, notice possible imposter email addresses:
ange1.rmls@123.com
angel.rm1s@123.com
angel.rmls@l23.com
angel.rmls.@123.com

Each of the above addresses vary from the first with a single, minor change. The replacement may replace the letter “L” with the number 1 or add an inconspicuous dot—but at first glance they all look very similar to the original address.

Emails requesting last-minute changes to wire transfers or monetary exchanges: RED FLAG

What to do
Check and double check your contact’s email address. Call your contact on the phone to confirm that details and changes are legitimate. Be alert and trust your instincts if something feels off.

The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) has a great article addressing sophisticated email scams and damage control.

Attachments or suspicious links: RED FLAG

There are a significant measure of viruses spread via email attachments and links. When opened, the virus wreaks havoc on devices and confidential information. In some cases, the attachments can be sent from a familiar email address that has been hacked.

What to do
Stay alert and look out for oddities. Were you expecting the attachment or link? Confirm with your contact that they sent an attachment or link intentionally—sometimes this is how people discover they’ve been hacked in the first place.

DocuSign recently experienced fraudulent activity which the Oregon Association of REALTORS® addresses here.

Another challenge to the local market is the Craigslist scam where photos of listed homes on the market are scraped and posted on Craigslist as being up for rent. Craigslist has quite a bit of information detailing what to do in these situations.

PREPAREDNESS

Your electronic safety can be greatly enhanced by an established data security plan, including best electronic practices, damage control, and reporting tools. Below are a few best practices for cyber safety:

• If sending an email with monetary transaction information, utilize encryption services whenever possible.
• Be wary of messages from unverified accounts and avoid including sensitive information to these accounts.
• Do not reply to suspicious accounts and never open attachments or links from suspicious accounts.
• Utilize strong passwords and change them regularly.
• Utilize secure networks when conducting business online.
• Stay up-to-date on software, anti-virus, and browsers.
• Think defensively at all times and be alert to cyber threats.

NAR offers a useful article discussing best practices and policies for cyber safety. Does your office have an established data security plan or document retention plan?

DAMAGE CONTROL

If you have a data breach, there are a number of actions that may help with damage control:

• When wiring money transfers, confirm receipt immediately.
• If you’ve been hacked or click on a link that locks your screen, shut your machine down immediately.
• Inform colleagues if they may have been exposed as a result of a data breach. Provide as many details as you can, and inform your IT department or manager.
• Change all of your passwords to ensure they are strong.
• Report the breach to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center.
• Report the breach to your local REALTOR® association.
• Report the breach to RMLS™ by contacting Michelle Gray at (503) 872-8059.

Cyber safety is incredibly important for everyone. RMLS™ urges REALTORS® to stay informed and be alert to remain safe!

There is no doubt that the work day of a REALTOR® is not an average day at the office. You’ve got to manage so many moving parts within your day: juggling clients and paperwork; darting from one location to the next; and staying informed and current with market trends. Above all, you need to stay safe.

While there are infinite scenarios that could go wrong in any line of work, REALTORS® can be especially vulnerable. September is REALTOR® Safety Month and in honor of that, I’ll be discussing REALTOR® safety in two blog posts this month. Today, I’ll discuss personal safety.

There are a variety of tools and practical ways to enhance the personal safety and awareness of REALTORS®. A good start to being mindful of safety is to be alert and aware.

AWARENESS
When dealing with strangers, there is no guarantee that potential clients are who they say they are, and there is no guarantee that they will be harmless. To be clear, this is in no way meant to advocate a fearful mindset—rather the opposite. Awareness that elements of the unknown always exist is a good motivator to stay alert and be prepared.

In practice, this means:
• Meet strangers at an office or public space—never alone at the property.
• Take your own car.
• Bring someone you know or work with when possible.
• Never walk with your back to the client.
• Be aware of exits at all times.
• Try to show during daylight hours when possible.
• Cut a showing short if the client exhibits suspicious or red flag behaviors.
• Require visitors to provide a photo ID and use a sign-in sheet at open houses.

RMLS™ offers Document #1071, Ten Commandments of Agent Safety, which offers a number of smart practices and suggestions to enhance your safety and awareness.

PREVENTION/PREPAREDNESS
Prevention is greatly aided by preparedness. Does your office have an established safety policy?

In practice, this means:
• Set a showing itinerary and share with your office and a family or friend.
• Use a prospect ID form and share with your office.
• Maintain a current agent ID form within your office.
• Dress for safety: comfortable shoes, avoid wearing expensive accessories, etc.
• Establish coded distress signal for the office ahead of time.
• Establish a reporting protocol.

REGIONAL ISSUES
There are safety issues that ebb and flow across the country and like all other places, the northwest has our own set of recurring safety concerns. The following are a few scenarios that have been reported to RMLS™ over the past year:

A man who calls female REALTORS® and claims he drugged their water bottle during an open house and assaulted the agent shortly thereafter. He insists they would have no knowledge of it and that he is only now calling to “relieve [his] conscience.”
What to do: Hang up. Do not engage in dialogue with this man, and write down his number if it isn’t blocked. Report the incident to the brokerage manager, the local authorities via their non-emergency number, and to RMLS™.

Male “prospective client” calling brokerage offices insisting to work exclusively with female REALTORS®.
What to do: Get his contact information if possible. Report the incident to the brokerage manager, the local authorities via their non-emergency number, and to RMLS™.

Persons showing up to open houses, acting suspicious, trying to get out of the agent’s line of sight and going through cabinets and drawers.
What to do: Call 9-1-1, report the incident to the brokerage manager, and to RMLS™.

SAFETY RESOURCES
Report REALTOR® safety issues to RMLS™. We look for trends and sometimes issue specific alerts on the RMLSweb desktop. To report an incident or safety concern to RMLS™, contact Michelle Gray at (503) 872-8059.

If you’re interested in learning some self defense, the Portland-area chapter of the Women’s Council of REALTORS® is hosting a self-defense class in Lake Oswego on Wednesday, September 14th.

The following are links to articles, videos, and apps from the National Association of REALTORS®:
Field Guide to REALTOR® Safety
REALTOR® Safety Resources
“Safety Policies” article from REALTOR®Mag

Remember, to minimize your vulnerability is to maximize your safety. Part 2 of my safety discussion will highlight electronic safety regarding fraud, scams, email hacking, reporting, and best practices for electronic safety. Look for it later this month!

Safety should never be relegated to just one month, but September is REALTOR^® Safety Month. This year marks the 10th year of the National Association of REALTORS^® (NAR) dedicating a month to REALTOR^® safety. Every year more and more alarming (and sometimes bizarre!) stories emerge from our subscribers: robberies, creeps, and fools. Every year RMLS™ strives to give subscribers resource material to better educate and protect themselves.

Top Tips from NAR (and Me)

The following are the four most paramount tips NAR would like to pass on:

1. Have office guests sign in. At the office, use a visitor log book where potential clients fill out a customer identification form. Remember to check IDs.
2. Don’t disclose too much personal information online. Consider setting up separate personal and business accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites. This will help protect your personal photos, posts, and other information from people you don’t know.
3. Familiarize yourself with the properties you’re showing. If you are showing a vacant house, walk the perimeter of the property before you or your client enter to look for signs that someone has been or is currently inside.
4. Note your escape route. When showing a property, leave the front door unlocked for a quick exit if needed. As you walk through a house, let the client enter rooms ahead of you.

And my personal favorite tips:

1. Tell people where you are going if meeting someone alone or for the first time. You can also go so far as to have a colleague call you at a certain time if you are nervous about the meeting. Mention the name of who you’re meeting and even set an estimated time of return.
2. Reasonable people will answer reasonable questions. For instance, there has been a rash of would-be buyers who are offended when asked to provide proof of funds for an all-cash transaction or who become upset if you can’t meet with them under their conditions. While it’s not always the case, dramatic reactions to seemingly benign questions or comments should raise concern.
3. Advise your sellers of the possibilities. Tell them to lock up all valuables, especially small items such as prescription bottles, checks, and jewelry. Even at a brokers’ tour with the most seasoned agent,  someone who doesn’t look suspicious who says they were in the neighborhood and saw the sign can wreak havoc and you know the rest.

Technology. Whew, What They Can Do These Days!

In our last safety post, we discussed internet resources REALTORS^® could utilize to be notified should their listings be hijacked by scam artists and posted on sites like Craigslist and even Trulia. Now you can empower yourself with applications on your mobile devices. Smartphones have become ubiquitous in the real estate industry. Safety applications go beyond just panic button capabilities these days. Some applications utilize GPS coordinates for emergency response while others offer speed dialing or automated emergency messages that go to designated numbers. As new apps become available every day, check your mobile device’s app store for the latest offers and information.

That said, still protect your personal information in case your phone is stolen or compromised. Consider installing a tracking device on your phone where you can remotely access it from a computer. Device passwords should be unique and free from obvious patterns like 4-3-2-1 or 1-3-7-9 (the four corners of a key pad). Read on at REALTOR.org for a comprehensive list of safety precautions for your valuables and yourself beyond those mentioned here.

Speaking of helpful resources, NAR has an archive of safety webinars for REALTORS^® that include all they released in the last four years. Webinar topics on the archive include open house safety, online safety, office layouts, and removing dangers specific to distressed properties. This kind of information can be great to touch on either briefly at an office meeting, or NAR has a variety of full presentations available for your staff.

Trust your instincts, be aware of your surroundings, and always listen to the little voice, no matter how cliched or cynical, that says if something looks too good to be true…

Happy REALTOR^® Safety Month, and if you would like to report an incident or concern regarding safety or fraud to RMLS™, please contact me at kelly.m@rmls.com.

Complications have continued for agents with vacant listings, as we’ve heard reported by some subscribers since the last entry in the RMLS™ safety series. Copper, appliances, and staging furniture have gone missing. Squatters have remained a very real problem. It is imperative that REALTORS® take measures to reduce a listing’s susceptibility to damage and vandalism.

The NAR Risk Management Committee recently released a video tutorial  detailing tools that agents can utilize to better protect their clients and their listings such as Google Alerts and IfThisThenThat.

The following ideas, while perhaps seemingly obvious, might still be useful. The number of vacant, foreclosed, and other distressed properties are declining as the market begins to rebound, but there is still a ways to go.

• Visit the property weekly, making times of your visits sporadic. Do not set a pattern.
• Hire housesitters to either stay at the house or visit regularly if you are not able to.
• Check all locks and entrances to the house, including windows. This is especially important following an open house or showing. I have received several reports of houses being cleaned out after a window was left ajar, or just unlocked.
• Park a car in the driveway. This blocks access to the garage (prime spot for clearing out large items without looking suspicious) as well as gives the impression that someone is at the house regularly.
• Bring up safety topics and concerns during office staff meetings. Your colleagues might have greater insight or similar experiences to share.  Real estate is a word-of-mouth business and keeping the conversation out in the open is a very powerful tool.
• Be aware that copper piping is very susceptible to theft. It is known to happen in existing homes, but new construction sites face the greatest threat.
• Set lights in the house on a timer.
• Don’t mention the location of the lockbox in the listing’s public remarks. To gain entry to the house, squatters can just as soon pick a lock, but the lockbox has been known to be a target. There have been reports over the years of listings with missing lockboxes, but no damage or theft to the house. Many times vandals take bolt cutters to the shackle and take the box to work on it elsewhere to limit visibility.  If that’s the case, call the police, change the locks, and consider calling your business insurance agent.
• Don’t hesitate to enlist the help of neighbors to keep an eye on the place. It is also in their best interest that the house remains safe!

Additional Resources:

Real Estate: Loss Prevention for Vacant Buildings

Protecting Vacant Real Estate Property

Copper Theft: How to Protect Your Property from Vandalism

Theft and Vandalism Claims Have Carriers on Edge in Vacant Property Segment

To report an incident or concerns to RMLS^™, please contact Kelly McKenna at kelly.m@rmls.com.

Since before the beginning of the lingering recession, people with less than honorable intentions have found their way into homes and set up camp. In this edition of our REALTOR® safety series, we have compiled a few stories from our subscribers, some harrowing and some amusing, as cautionary tales of which any real estate professional should be aware. Granted, these are rare and strange cases, but they have been known happen and can easily happen to the most thorough real estate professional.

Squatters, Joy Riders, and Other Things That Go Bump in the Vacant

Usually when a vacant property is put up for sale, the process is not much different than any other listing. Sometimes the home has been winterized, maybe even staged with furniture to entice buyers as well as deter looters. But since 2008, we have received an increasing number of reports where agents visit their listings only to find them in some substandard condition.

An agent once went to show a townhouse when they were greeted with squatters who tried to pass themselves off as prospective buyers looking around. The sliding glass door in the back was damaged and off the rail.  They had also left a mess of garbage and personal effects. They left promptly, but the client was not far behind them.

I got a call from an agent who said she once went to a high end listing in the West Hills with a client, only to open the door and find two squealing teenage girls barreling past them. As they fled, they called out that their boyfriends were still in the house. Well, no one was in the house, especially the stunned agent and the client, who stayed outside until police had a chance to come and search the place. Nothing was taken from the house, so the girls were likely joy riding, but the experience rattled the client, naturally, who didn’t even want to look at the house after that.

In a really bizarre case, I received a call in which neighbors contacted the listing agent, saying they didn’t realize the house sold so quickly. The agent was confused; the house hadn’t sold.  Apparently, someone who had toured the house managed to move into the vacant property, even going so far as to introduce himself to the surrounding neighbors as the new owner. When the agent arrived (unadvisedly alone) to investigate, she fled after the individual lunged at her and tried to pull her into the house. The agent escaped unharmed, and had a SWAT team in there soon after, but the perp had already disappeared.

We always try to reiterate personal safety.  If you think someone is in the house, never go in without the authorities.

Occupy Portland Twist

Last summer The Oregonian and other news outlets ran several pieces on squatters in foreclosed or vacant homes, some claiming to be associated with Occupy Portland in protest:
• Portland Tackles Backlog of Complaints About Vacant Houses, Many in Foreclosure
• Occupy Portland Squatters Take Over Home Woman Still Owns on North Mississippi
• Squatters with Plan Arrested in Portland Homes
Sadly, these squatters did more damage to the properties than the bank ever could.  Some reports suggest that the squatters were orchestrating foreclosure letters in an attempt to get owners out of their homes.

Zombie Foreclosures

I’ve seen reports of disgruntled homeowners facing eviction who then take it upon themselves to gut their house and remove all the appliances and finishes. Now in recent news, there are reports of homeowners moving out of homes facing foreclosure, only to have the banks stall on the foreclosure process, leaving the house in a limbo state, unbeknownst to the homeowner (aka “zombie” titles). Consequently, the house is then vacant and the homeowner is still liable for the taxes and maintenance on the home. Years later, they are presented with code violations, tax liens, and clean-up costs resulting from looters and squatters.

What Can Be Done?

What can you as a real estate professional do about this? If you find yourself with a vacant listing with little viewing activity, here are some things to consider:

• Make a point to visit the property weekly, making times of your visits sporadic, to not set a pattern, in case someone is casing activity on the house.
• Check all locks and entrances to the house.
• Consider setting the lights on a timer.
• Don’t mention the location of the lockbox in the listing’s public remarks. To gain entry to the house, squatters can just as soon pick a lock, but the lockbox has been known to be a target. There have been reports over the years of listings with missing lockboxes, but no damage or theft to the house. Many times vandals take bolt cutters to the shackle and take the box to work on it elsewhere to limit visibility.  If that’s the case, call the police, change the locks, and consider calling your business insurance.
• Don’t hesitate to enlist the help of neighbors to keep an eye on the place. It’s also in their best interest the house remains safe.

Photo courtesy of Patrick Feller on Flickr.

Most of us want to take people at their word and believe that they have the most honest of intentions. Sadly, that has never been a totally realistic expectation to have. Many say the problem has increased with the internet, but it may be that the internet has just complicated matters by offering new ways to play old tricks. Most of the following scams you will find on either the internet or in your mailbox.

Many times, the REALTOR® is not the victim directly, but these crimes can tarnish the industry and also compromise the trust of the public. As the country begins to climb out of one of the worst recessions of the last century, we want everyone to have the best possible experience when buying and selling real estate. Part of that is knowing all that can possible deter that pleasant experience. Read the following for more information and what you can do in the event that you suspect you or your clients are the targets of a real estate scam artist.

Craigslist Rental Scams: REALTORS® and their sellers have been increasingly victimized by individuals taking their listings or photos from a website and posting them on bulletin sites to try and secure deposits from prospective renters. The houses may be vacant or owner occupied. Fortunately, people are usually well aware of the scams on bulletins sites and realize a listing for a four bedroom house in an affluent neighborhood doesn’t rent for $500.

If the listing is occupied, the owners can be alarmed if they find people casing their property or looking in their windows to size up the living room. An owner’s shaken confidence can be damaging when a listing agent is legitimately trying to sell their property.

If you find a listing has been hijacked, flag it for Craigslist to remove and if you like, contact the FTC and FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.

Large Homes, All Cash, Quick Escrow…: You usually lose nothing but time and gain only frustration with deals that seem too good to be true. A prospective buyer claims to have X amount of money, all cash, and needs a quick closing. Everything is perfect until the time comes to submit the earnest money or sign the papers. Always go on instinct and trust your judgment, and get verification.

Leads for FSBO Listings: Someone claims to have connections with frustrated FSBOs who need REALTORS® or have other listing leads. This individual then attempts to sell these names for $10-15 a head. Usually they claim to get their leads through an affiliation with either a reputable brokerage firm or educational institution. The names are either of FSBOs with no interest in working with an agent or home owners who are not even in the market to sell. Either way, you are still out $100-150 (these “leads” are often presented as a package deal) with little room for recourse since the situation is hard to prosecute. Always approach such offers with extreme caution.

Overseas Transactions: People from overseas purchase property all the time. However, scams originate overseas as often as they do locally. It is always a good policy to enter into transactions with people you can see past an e-mail and with verified funding.

Real Estate Scam for Lawyers: Someone will contact a real estate agent expressing interest in a large property. They will then request a recommendation for an attorney to set up a trust for escrow, sending a cashier’s check to the attorney for an exorbitant amount of money. After the deal is written, the scammer then rescinds and requests a refund back when the original check was no good in the first place. This is just a minor twist on the classic confidence scam that can still lead to a very unfortunate outcome.

Resources: If or when you have a brush with any of these scenarios, contact your local police department, the Federal Trade Commission, the Better Business Bureau, and your state’s Attorney General:

Oregon:
Oregon Department of Justice
1162 Court Street NE
Salem, OR  97301-4096
(503) 378-4400
consumer.hotline@doj.state.or.us

Washington:
Washington Attorney General
1125 Washington Street SE
PO Box 40100
Olympia, WA  98504-0100
(360) 753-6200
Online Complaint Form

Next time in our series: Vacants, Squatters, and Occupy Portland.

Real estate is a very personal business. You’re not selling people a blender or a car. You are helping your clients navigate their purchase or sale of property, potentially one of the most stressful times in their life. As such, every phone call, every inquiry is a new opportunity to make that personal contact and foster business.

We are coming out of an unprecedented and volatile chapter of real estate history. Among all the well-intentioned buyers and sellers out there, there still remain people looking to take advantage of a real estate professional for no reason other than the fact that they saw your name and phone number on a billboard, a yard sign, or a website. It’s an occupational hazard, and you should be prepared always to protect you and yours.

Over the next few weeks we will be highlighting some of the many safety concerns impacting REALTORS^® today and heighten our subscribers’ awareness. The first is, perhaps, the most important. Money and personal effects can be replaced; you, however, cannot.

Crude, Lewd, and Rude

You’ve heard it probably from a colleague before. Crank callers and lewd suggestions on the other end of the phone line at 2am in the morning often lead to nothing other than lost sleep for the recipient. But this can easily escalate into harassment. If this does become the case, keep a log of the times and number of calls and the nature of these calls. Be sure to keep all text messages to forward to law enforcement. They will have other instructions and suggestions when you contact them.

Luring to a Vacant Property or Meeting Alone

Never meet a new client alone. “Stranger danger” doesn’t go away after you trade in your short pants. At RMLS™, we have received calls from agents who have corresponded with individuals who become irate and even threatening when the agent refuses to meet the “client” alone. Red flag. A true prospective client will not have a problem following your office’s policy of meeting in the office or a public place like a café or restaurant. Also, be wary of people asking overtly personal questions, asking to work specifically with a particular type of person. There have been reports of people requesting to work with only female agents alone, for example.

Robbery During a Showing or Open House

It happens. Usually this happens when it’s a slow day and there are no others in the house. If that is the case, give them your wallet. Never confront your assailant. They are unpredictable, and, therefore, very dangerous, if cornered. Usually, they will push you or anything blocking their way to escape, but consider the alternative. Let’s not…just give them the wallet.

Other Ideas

Always be aware of your surroundings, and always trust your instincts and intuition.

• Tell people where you are going and when you’re expected back.
• Take someone with you.
• Take down your client’s license plate number and leave it with someone at the office.
• Never underestimate the power of self-defense training and pepper spray.
• When showing a house, don’t let your client come between you and the door.
• Keep your phone on your person and in an accessible area.

Always limit your vulnerability as much as possible when alone or meeting someone for the first time.

Further Reading

Go to REALTOR.org for more information and tips on keeping safe in a variety of scenarios. Following are articles with more information:

http://www.realtor.org/topics/realtor-safety/articles-blog-posts

http://realtormag.realtor.org/sales-and-marketing/feature/article/2010/09/real-estate-safety-stories-how-i-stay-safe

http://rebr.com/realtor-safety-theres-an-app-for-that/

http://realtormag.realtor.org/sales-and-marketing/feature/article/2011/09/safety-lessons-saved-my-life

http://realtormag.realtor.org/sales-and-marketing/feature/article/2010/09/real-estate-safety-stories-how-i-stay-safe

http://www.mortgagenewsdaily.com/7262006_Reator_Safety_Tips.asp

Next time: Scams Specific to Real Estate

It’s REALTOR® Safety Month and we are happy to be able to raise the safety awareness of our subscribers with this article, which originally appeared in the September 2012 REALTOR® Magazine Online.

Your customer relationships can put your safety at risk. Here are four things you can do to make safety a bigger priority.

By Melissa Dittmann Tracey & Image by Julia Freeman-Woolpert

In the real estate business, you want to seem friendly, outgoing, and approachable in welcoming new customers and attracting prospects. But doing so could also put your safety at risk.

The dangers that lurk within the real estate industry is a lesson some practitioners have had to learn the hard way. A study last year found a rise in violent attacks against real estate professionals, with 16 assaults and seven murders reported, according to a 2011 REALTORS® Safety Report. Real estate professionals who were meeting clients alone at showings were found to be the most vulnerable to robberies, assaults, or murders, according to the study.

Many real estate professionals can recall an incident when they’ve felt uneasy about their safety while touring homes with clients. (See ‘Safety Lessons That Saved My Life…’ or ‘How I Stay Safe’) In fact, about 42 percent of female real estate professionals and 18 percent of male agents say they’ve “occasionally” felt unsafe, according to an online survey of 450 real estate professionals conducted by Moby, a safety mobile app company.

So what’s one of your greatest allies to staying safe in real estate? Trusting your gut.

“That gut feeling is a survival instinct in our bodies,” says Adam Contos, vice president of RE/MAX who created a REALTOR® safety curriculum for the franchise’s S.A.F.E.R. program. “If we feel something is wrong, there probably is something wrong. …Don’t ignore signs just to chase a commission. A commission isn’t worth your life, nor is it worth your peace of mind in an industry where you can have great success. Don’t take unneeded risks.”

Contos, who worked in law enforcement as a former SWAT team commander and taught police officers security measures prior to his real estate career, recommends four essentials to improving your safety in real estate.

1. Be prepared. Find out as much as you can about new clients prior to taking them on home tours with you, says Contos. Too often agents don’t take the time to properly screen their clients before taking them to showing appointments in vacant homes.

Jan Pringle, the education director with the Kansas City Regional Association of REALTORS® who also teaches agents about safety, says she advises agents to require all potential buyers to first visit the office to review paperwork prior to showings. She’ll then tell her agents to ask clients for their pre-approval letters for a loan. If they don’t have one, she’ll tell agents to send clients for a loan approval next before agreeing to show them a single property.

“This easy step not only protects the agent, but also forms strong bonds with real buyers,” Pringle says. “I don’t think the bad guys will go so far as to be documented for a loan approval. Plus, unmotivated buyers are weeded out as well.”

Also in preparing beforehand, look at the properties you plan to show. Know the exits. If it’s a vacant, foreclosed home, ensure squatters aren’t present. If someone is inside the home, never enter, but contact the police immediately.  Contos recommends agents do a thorough check of the property’s exterior before entering, looking for such clues as window screens that have been pried off, front doors kicked in, or any evidence of someone living there by peering inside the windows. Even if you just feel something is off, Contos suggests contacting the police to have them check out the property beforehand.

2. Bring a flashlight to all of your showings. “It’s probably one of the most effective defense tools,” Contos says. A large, bright flashlight that fits in the palm of your hand (not the miniature keychain flashlights) can surprisingly serve as a deterrent to would-be predators. A flashlight “gives the people you are with a sign that you are prepared for something to happen,” Contos says. You can use it to shine a light on objects that you want to point out in a home to potential buyers. But “it’s also something in your hand that is construed by bad people as an item that a prepared professional carries with them,” Contos says. “Police and security personnel carry them. It would cause those who want to do harm against you to think twice.”

Some real estate agents say they carry a weapon with them to their showings for added comfort. In fact, an informal poll in 2010 of 320 REALTOR® Magazine online readers found that 26 percent say they carry a handgun, nearly 20 percent carry pepper spray, about 11 percent carry a knife, and 2 percent carry scissors. About 39 percent say they carry nothing.

If you choose to carry a weapon, Contos cautions agents to get regular professional training on how to use it correctly and make sure it’s legal in their area. Mace, tasers, and firearms, for example, are illegal in certain states. “Make sure what you’re doing is legal,” Contos says. “You don’t want to jeopardize your real estate license by carrying something that is not.”

3. Use your cell phone for safety. Another great weapon to help keep yourself safe: Your cell phone.

“You don’t want to have to dig through your pockets or purse to find a phone and then enter a security code just to make a phone call if something goes wrong,” Contos says. Instead, he recommends wearing a bluetooth headset while showing properties. The discreet headsets usually allow you to touch a button twice to dial the last phone number you called. “So if you’re walking through a home with a buyer and something turns a little creepy, you can touch the button twice,” Contos says. “You don’t have to say anything to the other person on the line. Continue to show the house but [the person on the other line will] be able to hear you talking in the event that you feel your safety is in jeopardy.”

He also advises agents to have a “security partner” that they can call up to give a secret code word to when they feel in danger. In his classes, he recommends words like “red folder.” So when you call someone and mention, or they overhear in your conversation “red folder,” that person will know something is wrong and know to send help.

You also can use your cell phone to access mobile apps designed for safety. A growing number of mobile apps such as Agent Alarm, Moby, Real Alert, SafeTrec, and IcePics, among others, allow you to make instant calls to emergency responders. Some apps can even automatically access your GPS coordinates so you can quickly request help when you feel threatened. (Learn more: How to Use Your Smartphone as a Weapon)

4. Slow down. Stop being in such a rush, Contos suggests. When considering REALTOR® safety, many professionals just associate it as prevention of being a victim to a crime such as robbery or an assault. But REALTOR® safety also means taking precautions so you don’t become a victim in other occupational hazards on the job, too, such as car crashes, trips and falls in homes, or even being bit by a dog or other animal when touring homes.

“There are so many occupational hazards other than just being a victim of a crime,” Contos says. “When you get in a hurry, you ignore your surroundings and that can pose a huge safety hazard. It’s not about just getting robbed. It’s also about not getting hurt.”

For example, as you rush to client appointments or travel from listing to listing, many real estate agents are guilty of talking on their phone, texting, or even e-mailing while driving. But what happens if you’re distracted by texting and then hit a pedestrian—a child on a bike?

“A car crash can ruin your career and hurt someone else,” Contos says. “Don’t be distracted when driving; pay attention. We multi-task too much when we’re driving what’s a 5,000-pound weapon.”

Indeed, real estate is one of the top professions for the most car accidents and speeding tickets, according to a 2009 study by the Quality Planning Corp. Researchers analyzed statistics about car accidents and speeding based on profession and found that per year, every 1,000 real estate brokers average 102 car accidents and 39 speeding tickets. Real estate brokers were No. 4 on the list of top 10 most cash-prone professions (behind only doctors, lawyers, and architects).

Contos encourages real estate agents to stop rushing about their day, take the time to plan ahead, and take extra precautions. It’s what putting safety first is all about.

For more information on REALTOR® Safety, such as safety handouts, videos, and additional resources, visit www.REALTOR.org/safety.

Reprinted from REALTOR® Magazine Online, September 2012, with permission of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®. Copyright 2012. All rights reserved.

Guest Post Written by Kelly McKenna, Administrative Assistant at RMLS™!