National REALTOR® Safety Month

Because of the nature of the job, you often find yourself in new and possibly unfamiliar surroundings, while most likely alone. Taking these precautions can help keep you safe in several situations that you may find yourself in.

AHS’s very own Lisa Haupt has combined her Taekwondo expertise with her background as a real estate professional to teach self-defense to other Realtors, and offers additional tips “Agents need to be aware of where they and their clients are at all times. As you’re escorting clients around a home, always keep them in front of you, especially when walking up or down stairs,” said Haupt. Her advice paired with hands on self-defense training is the start of a personal safety strategy to increase your confidence and well-being.

Taking a quick pic of your clients and their vehicle, preferable with the license plate visible, and texting it to a colleague or family member can help ensure that someone knows where you are and whom you are with.

Making sure that you have some familiarity with your surroundings will both help your level of comfort and increase your clients faith in your knowledge. What’s lurking around that corner, or in the dark basement? You’ll already know because you took a quick peek before your clients got there to eliminate any nasty surprises.

If something doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t. Don’t ignore that little voice telling you to get out. If you have a hunch that a situation is unsafe , politely excuse yourself and reschedule at a time when you can arrange for someone else to join you. If it was an unsafe situation, you just saved yourself a potential problem, and if not just reschedule with your clients and be accommodating to work around their schedule.