OPEN HOUSE SAFETY TIPS

Ever felt a little uncomfortable sitting in your client's vacant home all day waiting for strangers to stop by an take a tour? Follow the tips below for a safer open house.

-Have someone with you; a second Realtor, friend or loan officer
-Check all the rooms when you arrive
-Know the safe escape routes
-Unlock either the deadbolts or door locks which ever is harder to turn (if you are comfortable with unlocked doors you can unlock them all the way)
-Check to see if you can escape from the rear yard
-When the public arrives, jot down a description of the car and the people, take a picture on your phone and text the description to your office
-Check in with your office every hour
-Do not leave your purse, laptop, etc in the open
-You can call for police to do drive by while conducing the open house
-Place a sign at door stating "video surveillance is in use"

Realtor Safety

A little warm up on the realtor safety tips we will be discussing during Friday's Fight Like a Girl seminar. This class is appropriate not only for Realtors but any woman who makes house calls: appraisers, loan officers, service/delivery people, accountants, interior designers...and the list goes on.

Realtors - are you aware of some of the danger signals, those times that make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. Pay attention to those feelings.

-When a new client refuses to meet you at the office first before visiting a property.
-The client will not fill out the guest registration form which includes making a copy of their license.
-The client insists you ride with them to the property.
-The client wants to visit only vacant properties and asks if you will be showing the property alone.
-The client insists you lead them through the house.

The above are watch out scenarios that your new client may have something other than buying a house as their primary intent.