{"id":9500,"date":"2016-09-02T12:00:13","date_gmt":"2016-09-02T19:00:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rmlscentral.com\/?p=9500"},"modified":"2016-09-02T09:34:59","modified_gmt":"2016-09-02T16:34:59","slug":"realtor-safety-month-personal-safety","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rmlscentral.com\/v1\/2016\/09\/02\/realtor-safety-month-personal-safety\/","title":{"rendered":"REALTOR\u00ae Safety Month: Personal Safety"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"image_pdf\"<\/a>\"image_print\"<\/a><\/div>

\"ShadowyFigureinHomeSM\"<\/p>\n

There is no doubt that the work day of a REALTOR\u00ae 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.<\/p>\n

While there are infinite scenarios that could go wrong in any line of work, REALTORS\u00ae can be especially vulnerable. September is REALTOR\u00ae Safety Month and in honor of that, I’ll be discussing REALTOR\u00ae safety in two blog posts this month. Today, I’ll discuss personal safety.<\/p>\n

There are a variety of tools and practical ways to enhance the personal safety and awareness of REALTORS\u00ae. A good start to being mindful of safety is to be alert and aware.<\/p>\n

AWARENESS<\/strong>
\nWhen 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\u2014rather the opposite. Awareness that elements of the unknown always exist is a good motivator to stay alert and be prepared.<\/p>\n

In practice, this means:
\n\u2022 Meet strangers at an office or public space\u2014never alone at the property.
\n\u2022 Take your own car.
\n\u2022 Bring someone you know or work with when possible.
\n\u2022 Never walk with your back to the client.
\n\u2022 Be aware of exits at all times.
\n\u2022 Try to show during daylight hours when possible.
\n\u2022 Cut a showing short if the client exhibits suspicious or red flag behaviors.
\n\u2022 Require visitors to provide a photo ID and use a sign-in sheet at open houses.<\/p>\n

RMLS\u2122 offers Document #1071, Ten Commandments of Agent Safety<\/a>, which offers a number of smart practices and suggestions to enhance your safety and awareness.<\/p>\n

PREVENTION\/PREPAREDNESS<\/strong>
\nPrevention is greatly aided by preparedness. Does your office have an established safety policy?<\/p>\n

In practice, this means:
\n\u2022 Set a showing itinerary and share with your office and a family or friend.
\n\u2022 Use a prospect ID form and share with your office.
\n\u2022 Maintain a current agent ID form within your office.
\n\u2022 Dress for safety: comfortable shoes, avoid wearing expensive accessories, etc.
\n\u2022 Establish coded distress signal for the office ahead of time.
\n\u2022 Establish a reporting protocol.<\/p>\n

REGIONAL ISSUES<\/strong>
\nThere 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\u2122 over the past year:<\/p>\n

A man who calls female REALTORS\u00ae 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.”<\/em>
\nWhat to do<\/span>: 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\u2122.<\/p>\n

Male “prospective client” calling brokerage offices insisting to work exclusively with female REALTORS\u00ae.<\/em>
\nWhat to do:<\/span> Get his contact information if possible. Report the incident to the brokerage manager, the local authorities via their non-emergency number, and to RMLS\u2122.<\/p>\n

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.<\/em>
\nWhat to do<\/span>: Call 9-1-1, report the incident to the brokerage manager, and to RMLS\u2122.<\/p>\n

SAFETY RESOURCES
\n<\/strong>Report REALTOR\u00ae safety issues to RMLS\u2122. We look for trends and sometimes issue specific alerts on the RMLSweb<\/em> desktop. To report an incident or safety concern to RMLS\u2122, contact Michelle Gray<\/a> at (503) 872-8059.
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you’re interested in learning some self defense, the Portland-area chapter of the Women’s Council of REALTORS\u00ae is hosting a self-defense class in Lake Oswego on Wednesday, September 14th<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The following are links to articles, videos, and apps from the National Association of REALTORS\u00ae:
\nField Guide to REALTOR\u00ae Safety
\n<\/a>REALTOR\u00ae Safety Resources<\/a>
\n“Safety Policies” article from REALTOR\u00aeMag<\/a><\/p>\n

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!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

To minimize your vulnerability is to maximize your safety. Learn more about REALTOR\u00ae safety this month and keep yourself protected.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":6786,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","filesize_raw":"","spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[22],"tags":[465],"series":[],"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/rmlscentral.com\/v1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/ShadowyFigureinHomeSM.jpg","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/rmlscentral.com\/v1\/wp-content\/plugins\/seriously-simple-podcasting\/assets\/images\/no-album-art.png","download_link":false,"player_link":false,"audio_player":false,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"dark","subscribeUrls":{"apple_podcasts":{"key":"apple_podcasts","url":"","label":"Apple Podcasts","icon":"apple-podcasts.png"},"google_play":{"key":"google_play","url":"https:\/\/play.google.com\/music\/m\/Iinki5xppiud4zt7r4evlggzzcy?t=Real_Talk_with_RMLS","label":"Google Play","icon":"google-play.png"},"google_podcasts":{"key":"google_podcasts","url":"","label":"Google Podcasts","icon":"google-podcasts.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/rmlscentral.com\/v1\/feed\/podcast","embedCode":"

REALTOR\u00ae Safety Month: Personal Safety<\/a><\/blockquote>\n