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This story appeared in the
June/July issue of San Diego REALTORŪ Magazine, and has been reprinted here with the
permission of The San Diego
Association of REALTORSŪ.
We encourage you to read it, and print it. Please
share it with your fellow REALTORSŪ.
REALTORŪ Safety Tips
By Lorrie Mowat, Communications Director, San Diego Association of REALTORSŪ
Introduction
If
this is not one of your worst nightmares, then maybe it should be.
You
receive a call from a man who says he and his wife will soon relocate to San Diego from
Mississippi. He's in town now, staying at a well known hotel in Mission Valley. He'd like
to look at a few houses, preferably near the water. He doesn't know the area well
yet? Could you possibly meet him at the hotel and drive him to a few properties?
You pick him up and
drive to some listings. Suddenly the "client" pulls a knife on you, takes your
keys and steals your car.
Sadly, this story is
true. It happened near the end of May to an SDAR REALTORŪ. While she was badly
traumatized, that is, fortunately, all that happened to her. Within a few days the San
Diego Police had captured the suspect and he has been charged with kidnapping, carjacking
and auto theft.
We wish REALTORŪ
Mike Emert had been so lucky. The agent, a young family man based in Bellevue, Washington,
was showing a listing in early January 2001. Emert was found in an empty house, where his
assailant had stabbed him to death.
Emert's death
galvanized not only his colleagues, but much of the state's real estate community. The
Washington and Seattle-King County Associations of REALTORSŪ joined forces with other
groups, including local real estate firms, government agencies, multiple listing services
and law enforcement representatives, to form the non-profit Washington Real Estate Safety
Council. This group developed safety campaigns and resources specifically aimed at
preventing other REALTORSŪ from becoming victims of assault, injury or worse.
Washington AOR
Communications Director Steve Klaniecki was instrumental in putting together the materials
and in spreading the word, not only within Washington, but throughout the nation's
REALTORŪ community as well. The Council provides all its materials free of charge or
royalties to all REALTORŪ Associations who ask. SDAR extends its thanks, appreciation and
admiration to Klaniecki and to the REALTORŪ Safety Council, as well as to the dozens of
other national, state and local AOR communication directors who responded openly and
unselfishly to our request for assistance and information.
We've put together
this information, and we ask you earnestly to take the time to read it, and to use the
many resources we've posted on www.sdar.com. Note that these tips do not imply a standard
of practice or formally established guidelines. They are simply some common-sense advice
from experts and from victims who have been there, and nothing more. As SDAR's staff
discussed this story, some employees posed questions about such things as potential
liability issues. One staffer, after hearing some of the true stories of REALTORSŪ who
became crime victims, protested that we might be unduly alarmist. "Won't we be
scaring our members out of their wits?" she asked.
The answer we finally
settled on was, "We certainly hope so." According to the Safety Council, 21 real
estate professionals were murdered on the job in the U.S. in the year 2000. Hundreds were
beaten, robbed or raped. It is far too easy to become so immersed in the daily rush to get
sales, closings and listings that we forget to take simple steps to ensure our own safety.
In most of the stories we heard, the agents had allowed their need to do business overcome
their misgivings about a potential client who turned out to be one of the bad guys.
Please consider the
tips that follow. Remember your own health and safety are far more important than all the
closings in the world.
Know Who You Are Dealing With
Meet prospects in
the office.
Have them complete
the personal identification form before going to properties. Try to have them do this in
the presence of an associate.
Verify identities.
Ask for several
forms of identification and cross-check them. Call references and places of employment.
Inform prospects that your firm's safety policies require that you keep the information on
file, which could discourage assailants.
Get license
numbers.
Record car models
and license numbers. This can help police catch a criminal or find you if you're abducted.
Introduce the
prospect to others in your office.
Since would-be
assailants don't like to be noticed, be sure to introduce prospects to your colleagues.
Photocopy driver's
licenses.
Legitimate clients
probably won't mind you copying their driver's licenses. Customers freely show
identification to grocery store or movie rental clerks. They should be willing to identify
themselves to REALTORSŪ who show homes worth hundreds of thousands of dollars and who
need to be concerned for the safety of their clients as well as themselves.
Tell Someone
Tell
someone where you are going, which client you're going with, and when you will return. Try
to let the client know you've shared this information. Criminals are less likely to attack
if they know they can be identified and the victim might quickly be missed. Complete an
office registry book or the Office Itinerary Form (which you can download free from
www.sdar.com), preferably in front of the client. If anything does happen to you, the
information can help police find you.
Use the Buddy System
If you
work with other colleagues, choose at least one "buddy" with whom you share
information. If you work alone, establish your buddy in your family, or hire an answering
service. Even leaving a note on your desk or completing an itinerary form could help
authorities find you in an emergency.
Know in advance whom
you will call if your instincts tell you to get help, if a client makes you feel
endangered, or if you need help at a listing or open house. REALTORŪ Magazine reported on
the case of a 26-year-old female agent in Columbus, Ohio, who established a buddy
relationship with Claudia Perry-Vance, a 23-year veteran of the real estate business. The
younger agent met a client who identified himself as Jack Martin, a nuclear physicist from
Tennessee. Although she met him several times in the office, she didn't confirm his
identification. The man was actually Thomas Chappell, a local commercial cleaning service
operator and a convicted rapist.
After establishing a
casual rapport with the young agent, Chappell called her to show him a property. Just
before she left the office, she asked her buddy Claudia to come along. "The only
reason I went with her was that she felt a little nervous," Perry-Vance told
REALTORŪ Magazine writer Timothy Dougherty.
Chappell met both
woman at the house, managed to separate them, and attacked the younger one with a stun
gun. "She let out the most horrible scream I've ever heard," said Perry-Vance,
who was in another room when the attack occurred. The scream sent Chappell fleeing to his
van, but the agents got his license number and called the police. When the police caught
him, they found in his van an MLS book in which he had circled the photo of the young
agent.
Market Yourself Professionally
Avoid
glamour shots in your marketing material. Like the incident in Columbus, police have
handled cases in which criminals have chosen their victims through their appearance in
advertisements, circling their photographs in the newspaper.
Make sure your
marketing materials and your clothing are polished but professional. Select clothes that
are comfortable and shoes that allow you to run. Don't wear expensive jewelry. And
remember your mother's advice about dressing for the weather. If you need to escape a
dangerous situation or your car breaks down, you might be exposed to the weather for a
long period of time.
Limit the amount of
personal information you share. Use your cell phone number, not your home phone. Publish
only your office address; never give out your home address. Use your initials instead of
your first name on signage so that potential assailants can't easily identify your gender.
Be careful of how much personal information you share verbally as well. "Getting to
know your client" should not mean sharing details of your personal life. Be guarded
with what you say about yourself or your family.
Stay Connected
Keep
your cell phone at your side. Clip it to your clothes, or buy one of the new carrying
cases with a shoulder strap. If you keep your phone in your purse or briefcase, you might
not be able to get to it when you need it most.
Always keep your cell
phone fully charged. Keep a charger that works from your car's cigarette lighter in the
vehicle at all times, and use it whenever you've started to deplete the phone's battery.
Program emergency numbers into your speed dial, including 911, emergency road service,
your office and your buddy. If you find yourself in an emergency situation and need to
dial 911, do not hang up. Keep the line open so that the police can trace the call.
Create a Distress Code
Agree
on a prearranged distress signal you can use on the phone if you think you might need
help, but don't want to alarm the person you are with. For instance, set up a signal using
a unique street or client name that signifies danger. If you're at a listing with a
prospect who is making you feel uneasy, call the office and say, "I'm at the
Richardson listing, and then I'm going to the house on Mayday Lane." Or "Could
you please pull the red file and have it ready for me after I finish showing the Jones
house?"
Share your distress
signal with all your colleagues and your family and friends. Brokers can ensure that
everyone in the office knows the signals and understands the steps to take when they hear
them.
Be Safe At Listings
Never
advertise a listing as vacant. This is an open invitation to criminals.
At the beginning of
the showing, mention to the client that you have another appointment to show the house
within a short time.
Use separate cars to
travel to listings. Tell the client that you need to go to another appointment immediately
after the showing, and ask him to follow you in his own car. In no case should you ever
ride in the prospect's car. When you arrive, park in a well lit area on the street instead
of in the driveway to avoid being blocked in case you need to make a quick getaway. Check
out your surroundings while you park, get out of the car and walk to the property, being
alert to suspicious activities.
Be aware of the
client's behavior, watching for strange behavior such as nervousness, dilated pupils or
inappropriate laughter or speech. At the door, take a few seconds to scan the house before
you enter, making sure nothing looks suspicious or out of place. Then step aside and have
the client enter first. Be alert to any strange activity the client might display, such as
a preoccupation with valuable objects or checking out doors, locks and alarm systems.
While inside the
home, always keep the prospects in front of you. Let them lead the way into rooms, and
always stay between the client and the room's doorway. Make an effort to stay out of
attics, basements, walk-in closets or other small areas.
In Timothy
Dougherty's article in REALTORŪ Magazine, he wrote about Maria Garcia, an agent who was
showing a house in Brentwood, New York in 1995 when prospect Donny Bates approached her
about listing his house. Instead of meeting him at her office, she went alone to a strange
house with him. The prospect was actually a paroled convict with a history of mental
illness. He murdered her.
Despite the
heightened awareness of safety that Garcia's death created, another agent in the area met
a man alone at a foreclosed property only four months later. Norberto Ruivo's error was in
turning his back on the prospect while entering the home's basement. The man put a gun to
Ruivo's head, handcuffed him to a pipe and stole his wallet and cell phone. Fortunately,
the suspect fled without further harming the agent, but Ruivo's ordeal is a lesson to
learn from.
Have a Safe Open House
Arrive
early. Before you post the yard signs, survey all exits to map out escape routes
throughout the house. Unlock deadbolts for a faster escape. Doublecheck the yard and
fences to make sure you won't inadvertently be trapped if you flee from the house.
Take a few moments to
refamiliarize yourself with the home's features. When strangers later enter, you need to
be able to focus on them and not become preoccupied with things like finding light
switches or linen closets.
Try to take the time
to introduce yourself to the neighbors and notify them of the open house. Although you can
make this a simple courtesy call, the knowledge of the open house might make neighbors
more alert to unusual sounds, and you could have a place to run to if necessary.
Before you open the
home, write the date and time on the back of one of your business cards and place it in a
kitchen cupboard. Purchase open house registers at SDAR's REALTORŪ Stores, or use a
simple blank ledger or notebook. So that visitors don't feel put upon, consider displaying
a small sign or flyer asking them to sign in for the safety of the homeowner and the
agent. You can download one from www.sdar.com. Try to keep your own list of visitors'
descriptions and car license numbers.
Whenever possible,
"buddy up" at open houses. At the very least, make sure your buddy knows where
you are. Set up a check-in system and phone in regularly. Develop acting skills so that
you can pretend to be speaking on the phone when a prospect walks in. "I'm at the
open house on Main Street, so bring the paperwork here as soon as you can. OK, I'll see
you in a few minutes."
Be especially alert
near the end of the day, when predators might assume you are tired or more vulnerable.
Help Your Clients Safeguard Themselves
Remind
sellers that strangers will be in their home. Tell them to put valuables in a safe, secure
place. Ask them to consider items they might not initially think would attract interest.
Last year the San Diego Police reported that an individual was going through medicine
cabinets at open houses and stealing the owners' prescription drugs. Suggest that they
hide any such items.
Don't leave your own
briefcase, purse, laptop or cell phone in view. (You should have that phone on your person
at all times anyway.) Wear clothing with pockets so that you can always have your car keys
with you as well. Never carry large amounts of cash.
Be alert to comings
and goings, especially near the end of showing hours. Authorities report that groups of
criminals are targeting open houses in Riverside County, showing up en masse near the end
of the afternoon. While several "clients" distract the REALTORŪ, others go
through the house and steal anything they can quickly spirit away.
When you leave make
sure that all doors and windows are secured. Authorities report that thieves commonly use
open houses to scout for valuables and easy entrance routes, then return when the agent
leaves.
Inform your clients
that while you are taking safety precautions, and that you've checked and locked the home
before leaving, they should immediately doublecheck all locks and scout for missing items
immediately upon their return, in case you've missed any less-than-obvious means of entry.
Working From Home
Many
real estate professionals do much, and sometimes all, of their work from home offices. You
might want to consider additional security steps, above and beyond those that the typical
homeowner might take. Here are a few tips from Jeff Zbar, author of SOHO Psychology:
Mastering the Mindset of Working from Home.
Consider investing in an alarm system if you don't already have one. If you do, make sure
you have a panic button feature you can easily use in the office portion of your home.
Even when you're
using a regular telephone in your home office, also keep a fully charged cell phone with
you, just in case. Program your safety phone numbers onto your office line as well as your
cell phone. Keep a printout of emergency numbers at your desk.
Install a deadbolt
lock on your office door, as well as on your exterior doors, so that you can lock yourself
in while you call for help. If you work on the second floor of your home, buy a fold-away
ladder in case you need to escape from a window.
Observe ordinary, common-sense safety measures such as having good locks on doors and
windows, adequate outdoor lighting, motion sensors and an adequate supply of flashlights
and batteries.
Personal Safeguards
Consider
taking a personal safety course. Convince your buddy to do it with you.
Even if you learn
self-defense techniques, experts agree that no matter how competent you believe you might
be in fighting back, the best recourse is to flee. Run toward an open business or
someplace you know you will find other people.
Police departments
advise that if you are attacked, scream loudly and keep screaming. Studies have shown that
yelling the word "Fire" attracts a quicker response than yelling
"Help." If you carry a warning siren or whistle, keep screaming until you can
use the device.
Police and security
experts almost universally agree that you should never carry a weapon such as a knife,
club or gun. Statistics show that you, rather than the assailant, are more likely to be
hurt with such weapons.
Authorities do not
have such a consensus on devices such as pepper spray. Although San Diego law no longer
require civilians to have a permit to carry pepper spray, the city's Police Department
advises against it because an assailant could easily use it to incapacitate you. On the
other hand, the Virginia Association of REALTORSŪ published tips from a safety trainer
with the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police. He is a strong advocate of pepper spray
and carries it with him wherever he goes. He says that simply holding it up and pointing
it at an assailant while yelling, "I have pepper spray!" can be enough to deter
an assault.
If all precautions
fail and you become a victim of a crime, report it to the police immediately. Try to
remember as many details as possible, and share all of them, no matter how insignificant
you might think they are. In the recent case of the local carjacking, the agent's actions
very well could have saved others. The San Diego Police immediately notified agents who
might be in danger, then contacted SDAR for assistance in getting the word out.
Association staff quickly spread the warning via e-mail, Website postings, contact with
other county AORs and notification to all major media outlets. Sandicor CEO John Holley
posted the warning on Tempo's Welcome Screen, where most of the county's REALTORSŪ would
be likely to see it. Within a few days the police captured the assailant.
Listen to Your Gut
Intuition
can be your best friend. If you feel apprehensive, don't ignore those feelings.
As often as she can,
Dallas REALTORŪ Joan Malone testifies to the importance of trusting your gut. She had met
several times with a well-dressed client who identified himself as an attorney. He left a
working telephone number, drove a nice car and even had two women and a child with him at
one showing. Yet Malone still felt uneasy and told her husband that the customer made her
uncomfortable.
Despite this
apprehension, Malone agreed one day to show the customer more homes. After viewing five
houses, he asked to return to one of them, where he suddenly attacked her and threw her to
the floor, breaking her back. As she fought back, he strangled her to unconsciousness,
stabbed her and left her for dead, escaping in her car. Malone briefly came to and managed
to crawl to a phone and dial 911.
Malone cheated death
and returned to the business, though now working only by referral. The paper trail on the
buyer she had maintained helped authorities catch him and put him in maximum security for
40 years. After a long recovery, Malone made it a goal to educate REALTORSŪ about
personal safety. "The nature of our business puts us in a very vulnerable
situation," she told Realty Times writer Blanche Evans. "The one thing I could
say to people is if you have a bad feeling, don't second guess what it's telling you.
Listen to your gut feeling and protect yourself."
Safety experts agree
that it's best to assume your instincts are right and to take necessary precautions. Don't
be so anxious to make a sale that you ignore your intuition. To your friends, family and
colleagues, your life is far more important than your sales figures.
Tips for Brokers
To the
best of our knowledge, these is no standard of practice specifically for brokers in
establishing safety policies and guidelines. These techniques are simply recommendations
gathered from dozens of AOR, police and other sources, which you might want to consider to
help you make REALTORŪ safety a prime concern for your employees and practitioners.
Create an office
safety plan. Appoint a "safety coordinator" to oversee, maintain and enforce it.
Require everyone in your firm to know and understand the safety policies and procedures.
Make it a top priority. We've posted tools, tips and resources on www.sdar.com to help
you.
Assign an office
safety contact and several alternates. Appoint employees who are typically in the office,
and not attending meetings or showing listings.
Establish a
dedicated office safety phone line, a "safety hotline." Office safety contacts
should ensure constant coverage during business hours. Don't let the line go into
voicemail while the office is open-make sure you always have someone there who will answer
the ring. Consider having the line automatically transfer to another number when the
office is closed, and appoint individuals to cover the line during those weekend and
evening hours when agents are often most vulnerable.
Require salespeople
to report their whereabouts to your safety contact, and establish safety call-in
procedures. Mandate the use of the buddy system. Create and communicate "panic
codes," making sure that all employees and agents not only know what they are, but
exactly what to do when they hear them.
Don't forget
workplace safety procedures for the office. Use a registration book for all clients and
other visitors. Establish a secure location to which employees can go in a dangerous
situation. Make sure private areas of the office aren't accessible to strangers.
Consider having
salespeople partner at open houses. Be especially concerned about female agents and
assistants being alone at a property. Although neither gender is safe, statistics show
that more female than male agents are assaulted, according to former Chicago homicide
detective J. J. Bittenbinder, a nationally recognized personal security expert.
Ensure that someone
is responsible for being aware of your agents' whereabouts. Consider personally visiting
or calling the open houses where your practitioners are working.
Share your ideas
with others. Use the Send Us Your Tips feature of SDAR's REALTORŪ Safety Web pages to
share useful solutions and tools with others.
Safety Tools and Resources
Communications
Directors of REALTORŪ Associations from around the country have unselfishly shared
information and resources to help their members be safer. Here are a few tools you can
use.
While you're at the
REALTORŪ Safety pages, download the Personal Identification, Agent Identification and
Agent Itinerary Forms. Make their use a part of your business activities.
Several
communications directors recommended the following books, available at most bookstores and
via online vendors:
A Gift of Fear:
Survival Signals that Protect Us from Violence by Gavin De Becker, published by Dell
Publishing
Be Alert, Be Aware,
Have a Plan by Neal Rawls and Sue Kovach, published by Lyons Press
Strong on Defense
by Sanford Strong, published by Pocket Books
Visit CVAR's
REALTORŪ Store either on-line or at 463 Pennsfield Place, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360,
for items such as open-house registers and other attractive ways to track client
information. If you do opt to purchase pepper spray, many Stores stock several types that
fit a purse, pocket or keychain, and one disguised as an ordinary pen.
