Realtor® Safety Awareness: 6 Vulnerable Situations and How to Stay Safe

“Nobody is responsible for your safety but you,” Cassandra Morrison, a New Mexico Realtor® and retired Albuquerque police sergeant, said on PAR’s Realtor® Safety Awareness webinar yesterday. “If you feel unsafe, it is up to you to do something.” 

With both real estate and law enforcement experience, Morrison shared six of the most dangerous situations Realtors® encounter in their day-to-day business and ways they can stay safe on the job. 

1. Meeting Clients for the First Time 

Why it’s dangerous: Realtors® meet with strangers all the time, and often they can be eager to gain a client and earn compensation, putting their own safety aside in order to do so.  

How to stay safe: Morrison urged Realtors® to meet with clients for the first time either in the physical office or in a familiar public place, like a café, which they’ve taken the time to scope out by looking for safe places to sit, finding the exits and noticing any security cameras. 

She added that whether she is meeting new clients in the office or in a public place, she introduces them to the people in that location (for example, the barista, the office receptionist, etc.). This helps create witnesses, makes the client more identifiable and reduces signs of isolation. 

2. Transporting Strangers in Personal Vehicles 

Why it’s dangerous: Driving strangers in their own personal cars puts Realtors® in a vulnerable position, as they have to pay attention to the road while staying aware of their client. 

How to stay safe: Morrison said she does not transport her clients anywhere. Instead, she tells them that her insurance does not cover the transportation of clients. 

3. Showing Properties Alone 

Why it’s dangerous: Isolation equals vulnerability, with fewer witnesses and more opportunities for dangerous situations. 

How to stay safe: “Take someone with you so they can watch your back,” Morrison encouraged, noting that she always does this, whether it’s a fellow Realtor®, another colleague or just a friend who she can say is “in training.” She cautioned Realtors® to avoid bringing their children along. 

4. Entering Vacant Homes 

Why it’s dangerous: Vacant homes create isolation and can attract squatters, which can be dangerous as well.  

How to stay safe: “Any kind of vacant home you’re entering, please take somebody with you if you’re not familiar with it,” Morrison warned. She added that, as a retired cop, she approaches vacant houses from both sides, checks the garage and then goes to the front door.  

5. Conducting Open Houses 

Why it’s dangerous: Many strangers can come and go during an open house, and Realtors® can’t keep an eye on everyone at all times, making them less aware of threats around them. 

How to stay safe: “When you’re having open houses, always have somebody with you,” Morrison reiterated. “We have Realtor® friends, we have roofers, we have inspectors, we have mortgage lenders – all kinds of people will hold that open house with you.”  

She shared that she stopped holding open houses alone after a particularly scary incident when a stranger tried to lure her into a back bedroom, then became erratic and aggressive towards her when she wouldn’t comply. 

What was the safety strategy that saved her in this situation? 

Before every open house, Morrison said she knocks on neighbors’ doors and lets them know she’ll be holding one. She intentionally makes a closer connection with the neighbor who has the best view of the house being shown, and she tells them, “If you see me standing in the driveway, will you do me a favor and call 911? That means something is wrong.” 

On that day, Morrison backed herself out into the driveway as the man came closer to her. A neighbor across the street saw her and ran outside with the phone, identifying herself as a witness while calling the police. 

6. Posting Personal Information on Social Media 

Why it’s dangerous: Realtors® who post their personal information or expensive belongings on social media can make themselves targets to theft, stalking and more. 

How to stay safe: “We have to be careful of what we’re trying to market,” Morrison said. She cautioned Realtors® against posting photos of their cars (especially with visible license plates), pictures of their children (especially with school or sports uniforms identifying locations or teams) and other personal content that can put them in vulnerable situations. 

More Safety Tips From Morrison: 

• Have a policy. For her, this includes screening every client before she meets with them. She uses FOREWARN, which can instantly verify identity, criminal history, property and vehicle ownership, financial data, additional phone numbers and address history, using as little as an incoming phone number. She is also careful to only meet with clients who have been pre-approved by a lender she can speak with on the phone. 
• Don’t let people behind you. “That’s a cop move,” she said. Realtors® should stay aware and keep their backs to the wall and their bodies closest to the exit at all times. 
• Have an excuse to leave. When feeling uneasy, Morrison makes an urgent excuse to get out. She told Realtors® the key to this excuse is making it urgent – whether that’s saying a family member has been in an accident, a child needs to be picked up immediately, etc. 
• Listen to your intuition. “There’s a difference between being paranoid and being situationally aware,” she said. “Pay attention to the signs in front of you. If you feel something, get out and do something.” 

Learn More Safety Tips 

Morrison also touched on commercial Realtor® safety, safety when it comes to pets on the property, additional precautions she takes and dangerous scenarios she’s been in or been told about by fellow Realtors®. Learn more by watching the webinar recap on PAR’s website.