There’s been a bunch of media attention on REALTORS® that have been accosted, raped and even murdered while conducting business. Although I’m sure it happens in other industries too, because I am a REALTOR® I wanted to share some thoughts about what’s happening and what you can do to help.
Perhaps surprisingly, it’s not just women that are the subject of these attacks. Some of these attacks are robberies, others are more violent crimes.
As detailed in the video below there, just recently two different attacks were made on agents in St Petersburg Florida. Both survived, but according to the government statistics more than 20 REALTORS® have been murdered in the past decade.
So as someone that is interested in buying a home, please help keep REALTORS® safe. When you happen to be driving by a house with a “For Sale” sign on it, please do call and schedule an appointment to take a look at it. Please don’t insist that the agent drop whatever they are doing to show it to you right now.
Many agents believe that if they don’t run right out, you may just call someone else that will. I’m curious, do you think you will get better, more qualified help from someone that has enough free time that they can run out to show a house without notice, or from someone with a full schedule? Experience shows that busy people get more done well.
Personally, I’m usually booked several weeks in advance. If needed, I may be able to rearrange my schedule to accommodate unusual circumstances, but what I truly believe is that everyone gets the house they’re supposed to have. It really doesn’t matter if you see it right now, or next week — if it’s the house for you, the timing will be right.
So, how does not pressuring an agent to run out and show a property help to keep them safe? If that agent develops the same confidence I have that everyone gets what they should, then they won’t find themselves in the position of the St Petersburg agents depicted in the video.
Other safety measures agents may use include meeting clients at the office instead of at a property, taking a copy of the client’s driver’s license and leaving a copy with the office, and letting someone know when the agent will be back in the office. These are all standard policies for my business.
I know that sometimes you see the house and think, “This is it! I have to see it right now!” but there may be better questions to ask than, “will you show it to me now?” Curious about what those might be? Send me an email at Safety@93561home.com and I’ll send you the list.