May Safety Tips

For the remainder of this year (with the exception of extenuating circumstances) we will focus our newsletters and blog on tips from our 2012 REALTOR^® Safety Guide. The 2012 REALTOR^® Safety Guide will be coming to you soon at no charge. We are currently in process of updating the information and format.

This blog is going to focus on the state of our industry today. This information is not meant to scare you but to inform you so you can better prepare yourself and become more aware as you go about doing the everyday tasks of your job.

Current REALTOR^® Crime Statistics
There were eleven confirmed real estate murders in 2011. With attacks, rapes, murders and suicides, 2011 was the most violent year in the real estate industry.

In 2011

• The majority of attacks on real estate professionals occurred in the afternoons on Thursday or Friday.
• Nearly 30% of attack victims were men.
• Most attacks did not occur inside major metro areas.
• Guns were used roughly 50% of the time in attacks.
• Robbery was the intention going into the attack but frequently resulted in a shooting.

Unfortunately, there is no face of a standard victim, no face of a standard attacker, and no common theme between many attacks. The only common threads between these attacks are (1) there is no common thread, everyone is equally vulnerable and (2) many lives have been altered as people have lost loved ones or have been attacked.

Introduction to Safety

Due to your frequent contact with unfamiliar people in private locations, real estate agents face more on-the-job risks than many other business professionals. One way to avoid a potential attack before it happens is to trust your instincts. Your intuition, combined with your common sense, can help get you out of trouble. For example, you are working an open house and a person enters. Suddenly you feel a knot in your stomach. As you stand to greet him, he blows you off. What do you do?

A) Follow him and try to engage him.

B) Yell at him to come back and sign the guest book.

C) Do nothing, he will leave soon.

D) Listen to your gut, grab your cell phone and walk out.

Click here to watch a video to learn the correct answer.

 

We are all busy and preoccupied with work, family and friends. But don’t let our “busyness” keep us from staying safe. By following some simple techniques and taking time to stop and look around, we can drastically decrease the chances of becoming victims.

For more tips, tools and information, please visit our resource page on our website, http://www.justbesafe.com.