September 6th - 2004

Website offers safety tips for REALTORS

In October 2002, a Calgary REALTOR was attacked by a man who claimed to be looking for a new home for his family.

In October 2002, a Calgary REALTOR was attacked by a man who claimed to be looking for a new home for his family. The REALTOR was tied up in the basement, and her credit cards and car stolen. Police later determined the same suspect was also implicated in attacks on REALTORS in Vancouver and Edmonton.

In November 2002, a commercial REALTOR in Toronto was killed while she worked alone in her office. Five months later a suspect was arrested. These are two recent incidents where REALTORS were performing their professional services, but their personal safety was unknowingly at risk.

The very nature of real estate involves personal risk because REALTORS often work alone in vacant buildings with people who are complete strangers. REALTORS assume the majority of these strangers will become clients and that they are really interested in the property being shown. As a REALTOR you should also remember that predators look for easy targets.

Keeping REALTORS out of harm’s way is the goal behind new safety materials available on the OREA web site at www.orea.com under Member Services.

An outline of the potential dangers REALTORS face on the job and some practical safety dos and don’ts that could help prevent an assault are included on the site in a user-friendly format. The campaign is a concerted effort by the National Association of REALTORS, CREA and your provincial association to develop safety awareness among all REALTORS.

Checklist
There are a number of basic things you can do to protect your personal safety.

  • Keep a cell phone at your side
    Your cell phone can be your best friend in a bad situation. Program 911 on your speed dial.
  • Have a distress code
    Have a prearranged distress signal: For example, "I'm at the Jones house and I need the red file right away." Share and practice your distress code with your office, colleagues, family and friends. Use it any time you feel uneasy.
  • Make sure your office knows
    Tell someone who you are with, where you are going and when you’ll be back. Make sure someone else knows what your schedule is, and who you're planning to meet.
  • Don't glamorize promotional material
    Avoid glamour shots. Your marketing materials should be polished and professional. Limit the amount of personal information you share. Do not use your home phone number; use a cell phone number instead. Use your office address, rather than your home address.
  • Know who you are dealing with
    When you have new clients, meet them at the office first. Verify their identities. Get their car make and licence number and if you can, photocopy their driver's licence. Complete a Client I.D. Form. A serious client will not hesitate to share this information.
  • Take precautions at Open Houses
    Often at an Open House, you'll be working alone. You won't know who will show up, so take basic precautions to ensure your personal safety.

Other valuable information on the REALTOR Safety site includes how to protect yourself while in your car or during an open house, how to judge if a situation is potentially dangerous and even a quiz that provides scenarios for you to test your safety potential. REALTORS are encouraged to visit the site and familiarize themselves with the material and to prepare their own personal safety plans. More information on the REALTOR safety campaign will also appear in future issues of the REALTOR EDGE.

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For more information contact

Ontario Real Estate Association

Jean-Adrien Delicano

Manager, Media Relations

JeanAdrienD@orea.com

416-445-9910 ext. 246

Ontario Real Estate Association
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The trademarks REALTOR®, REALTORS®, and the REALTOR® logo are controlled by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) and identify real estate professionals who are members of CREA. The trademarks MLS®, Multiple Listing Service® and the associated logos are owned by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) and identify the quality of services provided by real estate professionals who are members of CREA. Used under license.

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