Headlines across the country prove that a career in real estate can be hazardous to your health. A tragic story is the most recent wake-up call to agents to protect ourselves in the field.

Agents are even more vulnerable to random acts of violence than any resident who happens to live alone. Residents can lock their doors to potential intruders, and they usually have a phone in their house or apartment to call for help. Neighbors are often on the lookout for suspicious activity.

Agents, on the other hand, often drive strangers around for hours looking at homes. By the nature of our business, we willing enter homes to show those strangers around the premises. In an empty house with nobody else within earshot, a violent criminal has almost complete freedom to act on any disturbing impulse that his mind can imagine.

All the police can do is show up after the crime has been committed and investigate, and for the victim, it can be too late.

Since the NAR has named the week of September 10-16, Realtor Safety Week, I take this opportunity to encourage you to start implementing the following safety measures, especially when you are most vulnerable -- when you're heading out of the office showing houses:

• Always meet a client at your office first and document the meeting.

• Set up meetings at your office at times when others are likely to be present or meet your clients at another public place, such as a restaurant.

• Obtain a client's name and phone number, and call to confirm that the phone number is not phony.

• Before heading out to show homes, let your office or one of your colleagues know where you are planning to go. Jot down a planned route for the day.

• Consider driving in a separate car from your client. Personally, I like driving with the client so we can talk on the way, but driving separate cars is safer.

• Take a friend or colleague along to a showing if you have any suspicions about a particular client.

• Lock your car doors immediately after getting in your car and whenever you leave your car unattended.

• Carry a cell phone. On many cell phones, you can press and hold the "9" button to have it automatically dial "911."

• Carry a loud clip-on siren that you can easily trigger to sound an alarm. RealGuard markets an alarm system designed specifically for real estate agents and offers a 25 percent discount to NAR members.

• Pack mace or pepper spray, which can help you ward off vicious dogs as well as ill-intentioned predators posing as clients.

In addition to these relatively simple safety precautions, consider taking a self-defense course, even if the course shows you only how to safely escape a threatening situation and properly use self-defense tools, such as mace, pepper spray, or a stun gun.

By following these simple safety precautions and learning a few self-defense techniques, you can continue expanding your client base with the confidence that you're protecting yourself from potential harm.