Safety Tips for Real Estate Agents

October 6th, 2015

Believe it or not, real estate agents face many dangers in their profession. Private showings, listing appointments, hosting open houses, among others, are routine duties for a real estate agent and often involve one-on-one interaction with complete strangers. Crimes against realtors are referred to by a 2011 Realtor.org article as “crimes of opportunity”. They are targeted not only because of the valuable items they carry such as a cell phone, purse or wallet, but also because they drive up in a car and often show up alone.

Since you can’t assume that every client you meet with has the best intentions, real estate agents, especially women, need to be prepared to encounter the worst of the worst. Safety is key. Check out and share these safety tips for real estate agents that could help save a life:

BE INFORMED

Make sure to have all new clients or prospects complete an information form that includes the essentials like name, copy of driver’s license, vehicle information, etc. before scheduling a private showing. This way, you have all the information you need to file a complaint should that be needed.

BE AWARE

Before you meet your client for a private showing, take a drive through the neighborhood and look out for any potential hazards and/or people lurking around. Also, be sure to inspect the home prior to showing and identify the exits.

BE READY

Download a personal safety app to your smartphone that has a personal assistance button and GPS tracking. We recommend Mobile Alert™ and/or Family Guard™ by LifeFone, both of which are affordable, come with 24/7 professional monitoring, personalized user profiling and GPS tracking. Oh, and always keep your cell phone in your hand during a showing.

BE PREPARED

In the event that something bad does happen, you want to be prepared for the worst. Beef up your own protection with self defense classes and keep pepper spray on hand – best on a key chain.

BE AN UNATTRACTIVE TARGET

Leave your purse, jewelry – everything – but your cell phone and your car keys – in the trunk of your car. Place it in the trunk before you arrive to a showing or open house. Also, feel free to bring a friend, your dog, grandmother, and/or neighbor – with you. Criminals are less likely to attack if there are witnesses – or your dog is snarling.

Although these safety tips may seem a bit extreme, it is far better to be safe than sorry.

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Safety Tips While Working Alone

September 14th, 2015

Do you ever get the creeps working by yourself late at night, or when you’re the last one to leave the office? That fear is legitimate, as you truly don’t know what or who is out there, and what they’re motivation might be to harm you. Be sure to follow the below safety tips while working alone so you don’t become a statistic.

INSTALL A HIGH TECH SECURITY SYSTEM

This is one of the most important safety tips for working alone. A robust security system is essential to making sure you stay safe and your space is protected, especially if you’re always the last one out of the office. Not to mention, you’ll be able to tell if someone is breaking in due to the alarm going off and the police will be notified as well. Luckily, the alarm may scare off the potential criminal and you may not need law enforcement. Either way, be sure your employer has cameras set up surrounding the building.

LOCK THE DOORS WHEN YOU ENTER AND EXIT

The last thing you want is for an unwanted person entering your office when you’re working alone. This situation not only exposes the valuables in your office to culprits, but it make YOU vulnerable to attack or potentially threatening situation. Be sure to lock the door behind you and have your keys AND cell phone on you at ALL times.

BE AWARE + PREPARE

Before exiting your office building or car, look out the window and around the parking lot to acquaint yourself with what is outside. When exiting, be sure that your back is not to the outside for too long and always have your car or house keys and smartphone (with a personal security app installed) in your hand – not in your purse, in a briefcase or on the floor. If you have a pepper spray keychain or something to that effect, have that in your hands as well. That way, if you are surprised by an unwanted individual or group, you’ll be prepared to take action IMMEDIATELY.

EQUIP WITH A PERSONAL SECURITY APP

Also, be sure to download a personal security app with a panic button, GPS tracking and fast response like LifeFone Mobile Alert™ to help protect you when you leave the office. Crimes can occur anywhere and the journey from your office to your car is no exception. Protect yourself and ensure that in the event of an attack or unwanted approach you are ready to access help – fast.

DON’T LEAVE VALUABLES IN CAR

One of our other safety tips also pertains to outside of the office. Don’t leave valuables in the car, ever. Although it may not always involve the safety of yourself per se, it could potentially involve the safety of your belongings such as your identity – if there is a credit card or passport in your vehicle and it is stolen. Save yourself a headache and don’t leave jewelry, technology, money, or anything else of value in your car. Not to mention, a broken window can be pretty pricey if the thief sees something they like. Be sure to have or install an alarm system in your car as well.

Although these safety tips may seem a bit extreme, it is far better to be safe than sorry. We are smart about security and only want the best safety for our customers. Visit our blog for more safety tips and tricks! Have add your own safety tips in the comments below!

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What is Mobile Personal Security? And Why Do I Need It?

August 31st, 2015

So, maybe you’ve heard the term mobile personal security, aka mPERS, flying around, but what does it mean and why should you have it? Well, it means exactly what it says – personal security that extends outside the home – and accompanies you on the go! New technology such as LifeFone Mobile Alert™ is making it possible for anyone to carry their own personal security system via an application (app) on their smartphone. Yes! You heard, right! Mobile personal security applications are growing in popularity as more smartphone users, and there are 250 million of us out there, are installing and arming themselves with this valuable tool to use in any emergency.

The overall number of crimes, accidents and situations that risk personal safety in the U.S. is staggering. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), there were an estimated 1,163,146 violent crimes committed nationwide in 2013 and of that an estimated 345,031 were robbery-related. Obtaining rapid response times to these situations can be the difference between life or death.

So how can your smartphone combined with this type of application help save your life?

While it may sometimes be difficult to call 911 with your phone in a precarious situation or extreme circumstance, a user of a mobile personal security app can, with one touch of a button, send out GPS detailed coordinates of their location to a professionally monitored call center. This “help or panic” button has proven to be a faster route to medics, firefighters and police officers than calling 911! Some apps even have the ability to send out notifications to emergency contacts registered by the user, provide call center professionals with additional and secure personal and medical information and provide two-way communications if necessary.

LifeFone Mobile Alert™ app comes with a user-defined panic plan that is initiated with one touch of a virtual button on a smartphone. With Mobile Alert, if a user presses the button and the user is in distress or even senses danger, can’t speak or needs medical attention, a signal will be sent to trained professional monitors who will send the closest available response team to that user according to the Google enabled GPS coordinates on their smartphone.

This is a revolutionary development in personal security and because the system uses Google maps, it is often far more accurate than calling 911. Until now, we have only looked to protect ourselves in our homes by installing security systems or in our cars with On Star and other systems – because there was no cost-effective and reliable option for security outside the home. Mobile personal security apps like ours have changed that for the better and provide a personal “On Star” system anywhere there is cell service.

As a mobile society constantly on the move and with security concerns rising, it’s important to be armed with added protection and fast avenues to assistance when faced with scary or life-threatening situations. Especially in times of crisis, our smartphone is usually the closest thing we can reach to for help, making it the perfect tool for security. And, what’s better than your personal security reliant on the one item you have with you virtually all the time – your smartphone. It’s not only smart – it could save your life.

For more information on LifeFone’s mPERS app features and how to get reliable personal security right on your smartphone, visit http://www.lifefone.com/apps.

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