Safe and Sound—The Importance of a Safety Mindset in Today’s Real Estate Landscape

The dynamic nature of the real estate market, with its ever-changing trends and challenges, appeals to those professionals who thrive in an environment that demands adaptability and problem-solving skills. But too often, agents miss the single most important part of their job—keeping themselves safe. 

It’s easy to take things at face value and believe that potential clients are the people you envisioned when you became a real estate agent—genuine people looking for your help as they seek out the home of their dreams. I’m not here to make you live in fear of all interactions with people but rather to help you go about your business with some practical ways to proactively protect yourself against the people who are acting with the wrong intentions.

Awareness

To be proactive, your first step is strengthening your awareness. Your ability to assess properties before you show them helps you ensure accessibility to entry and exit points if any red flags happen to arise when you have potential clients. 

Gaining some background information about the property you are showing helps you build trusting relationships with clients when you can answer questions and address any concerns about the property. It can also help you see where there may be blind spots, and give you insight, for example, on where to park and where not to park during showings.

Aware agents can respond promptly to unexpected situations while creating a safe, productive, and successful experience for themselves and their potential clients.

Verification

Creating a foundation of trust between an agent and any potential clients is critical, but it’s equally important to exercise caution when you begin interacting with new clients. Lay the groundwork for a mutually beneficial working relationship while also screening for any red flags.

There is nothing wrong with verifying the authenticity of a potential client. Begin a proactive conversation by asking open-ended questions about the kinds of properties they’re interested in, where they are currently, and why they want to move to a particular area. Keep the conversation focused on real estate, and listen to the potential client’s responses.

Screening potential clients can help you know whether or not you feel comfortable moving forward and working with them. When in doubt, err on the side of caution and politely decline their business.

Intuition

Throughout our lives, we are often told to “Trust Your Gut.” Usually, this is said about more minor, less important things, like whether or not to try something new on the menu at your favorite restaurant, or whether or not to take a different route than the one your GPS is telling you to take. 

In the real estate safety sector, the phrase “trust your gut” refers to any bad or off feelings you may get about a situation or even a person. You may sometimes get odd requests for meeting a client at a listed home or meeting someone that doesn’t feel sincere. 

I am here to tell you: Always trust your gut! You will never regret it.

Stay Safe

Promoting a safety mindset is about equipping you with the tools and strategies necessary to protect yourself, while still allowing you to carry out your duties as a real estate professional.

In short, too many real estate agents are willing and anxious to talk about safety only right after something bad happens. I’ve made it my mission to help you become proactive so you can prevent anything from happening in the first place. 

If you’re interested in learning more about real estate agent safety and preparedness, I encourage you to read my book, Not Today Predator, and host a safety workshop for your brokerage.