Personal safety is a big issue for real estate agents in Australia. When presenting a property, holding an open house, or manning the model home in a new development, the realtor is frequently working alone. Personal safety concerns should include the following:
Request that a customer comes to your office for the first time at the first meeting. Get as much personal information as you possibly can about yourself. Duplicating the driver’s license is a smart first step, not only for your safety but also for adding your information to the client database.
You should avoid showing property by yourself if you have a funny sensation about the customer. Request the assistance of a co-worker; at the very least, you may be forced to share the commission. If you are manning an open house and you believe you may be in danger, leave the premises immediately and contact for assistance.
You also need to consider the neighborhoods you are offering your services in. If you are running your business for real estate in Harrington Park, Catherine Field, or Camden you are generally safer just by the nature of those areas compared to, say, Bulli or Penshurst.
Further Measures to be taken
Always bring your automobile to the property because it may be the only way out if something goes wrong. Make a note of the car’s make, model, color, and license plate number while you’re driving, and phone the office with this information. After arriving at the property, check sure your vehicle is not obstructed and that you have a simple escape route (no backing-up).
Whenever you are exhibiting a home, always have the customer lead the way; this allows the property to showcase itself properly and ensures that the client remains in your line of sight. Make sure they sign-in on the registration, and if the office does not already have the client’s information, make arrangements to have it forwarded to them. Your coworkers will be aware that you are with a customer at the moment.
Keep your keys and mobile phone in a convenient location that you can easily access. When the situation calls for it, keys may be an excellent weapon of surprise. If you have a purse, make sure to keep it with you at all times or in the trunk of your car at all times. Knowing the property not only makes you appear more professional, but it also makes you feel safer because your customer may not be aware of all of the exits as well as you should.
You can never be cautious and well prepared enough!
Prepare yourself by enrolling in a few self-defense lessons. Having a few minutes’ heads start of the property might make the difference between a safe escape and be stuck. Take advantage of your first opportunity to flee and don’t waste time attempting to reason your way out; retain your advantage. The longer you remain in a potentially harmful situation, the worse your chances of escaping safely are.
Allow the client to see that you have phoned your office and that the office is aware of who you are accompanying you. It is also a good idea to establish a secret code in case of emergency, such as Pick up dog food,’ even if you do not have a canine companion. In addition, setting your phone to vibrate is a fantastic idea since your customer will not be able to tell if you are calling or whether you are getting a phone call.