Real Estate Professionals, in particular, need to be cautious of their surroundings.  Especially during an open house or private showing.  You can’t avoid showing your clients their dream home, but there are certain precautions you need to take to ensure your safety.  Here are 7 personal safety tips to keep in mind during your next open house or showing.

1. Arrive to your destination early and become familiar with the home and its surroundings.  Is it in a populated subdivision or in the woods or country setting where cell service is spotty?  Check various areas where cell phone coverage might be limited. This is good to know in case you need to make an emergency call for help.
2. When parking your vehicle, be cognizant of exits and potential escape routes.  Always get in the habit of backing into a parking spot nearest the entrance. Avoid areas where your vehicle might become blocked.
3. When your client arrives, ask them to allow you to go up to the house to make sure that the entrance was secured properly.  Once you’ve determined that the area is safe for entry, and checked your phone for a strong signal, you can direct your clients to enter the home.
4. Clients should always be walking ahead of you. Direct them to where you want them to go and remain in a position where you are able to escape quickly should the need arise.
5. Try your best to create opportunities where direct access to your person is obstructed. If you are showing a kitchen and there is an island or peninsula feature, remain on the side closest to your point of exit while the client is on the other. Never sit beside the client on a couch, but rather sit across from them while discussing buyer-seller negotiations or other paperwork.
6. When showing the property, keep your dialogue with the client real estate specific.  Avoid personal conversation and details of your personal activities, schedules etc.
7. Take a moment during your tour to mentally assess how this showing is going.  If you have a gut reaction that something is not right, it probably isn’t and you should listen to your inner instincts.  If you have any concerns at all, take action. Grab your cell phone and check for signal strength. If the signal was clearer outdoors by your car, excuse yourself and politely explain that you need to call the office. Call another realtor to the location or cut the showing short and leave immediately. Usually, if the cell signal is not strong, the homeowners will have a landline phone.  Pick up the phone and call your office, using your predesignated signal or code phrase to alert someone that things are not right at this showing.

These are just a few of the many valuable skills you will learn when taking Real Estate Training Institute’s Personal Safety and Self Defense Course. Take this course to master simple, effective self-defense tactics and stay safe in any situation.