Recent reports from San Diego, Calif., about a stalker calling real estate agents on their cell phones to make threats, confirm my belief that agents need to put up a barrier between their business lives and personal lives.

Real estate can feel like a continual popularity contest. Obviously you, as agents, are much more than that. You want buyers and sellers to think of you when its time to make a move.

You place ads in the real estate section of the local paper. You put your photos and contact information on signs. Some of you, even rent billboards. And now, with the web, you include your listings on your brokers' sites and personal pages. Your memberships are posted on all the association websites, boards, WCR, states, chamber of commerce etc. Some of you even have blogs.

Agents' websites aren't much different. Sometimes they display photos of agents on horses or wearing something inviting and glamorous.

Bad move.

I know all this because it's how I find you, to secure an opportunity to present my programs to you. You're everywhere.

When I Google you, I find you. Sometimes I find out where you live, too. If you're listed in the white pages or phone book, then the simple act of plugging your name and state into Google, sometimes brings up enough information to get your hometown. Once I have this information, I can Google your name and town to get your home phone with a map to where you live. All on Google.

Isn't that creepy?

The real issue here is that when you provide your personal cell, or home phone number, a stalker can easily do a reverse search and find out your home address. That includes your cell number, which can also be traced. A toll-free number can't be reverse searched.

I tell you this not to freak you out, but to illustrate a point: If I can do this, then so can the freak(s) stalking agents in Southern California and elsewhere, too.

I regularly receive business cards from agents who have up to seven phone numbers: business phone, direct, toll free, office, and fax. And there's more, they also have home phone, home fax, and cell phone numbers. It's comical.

You only need one phone number -- for business only. Don't supply your home phone number.

All you need is one toll-free number, going to an office line that leads to voice, cell, or an answering service. With call-forwarding technology, you no longer need to give out so many numbers. The redundancy is what makes you vulnerable.

I have one toll-free number. It goes to my office. When I don't answer, the number is directed to wherever I choose. My voicemail states I'll return the call within 90 minutes. I travel the country and as long as I'm not in a program or on a plane, I either answer the phone or return the call within five minutes.

In all the years I've been presenting my Realty Security programs, I've met at least two dozen agents, male and female, who've been stalked. Their business cards now only show their company names, toll-free numbers, and variations of their first names. Their ads and websites follow suit. These agents have taken their names out of the phonebook. They've Googled themselves to find out what information is out there, and removed whatever might make them vulnerable.

Somewhere along the line, someone had a marketing idea to make a real estate agent sexy. Sex sells. Predators are paying attention. This isn't the kind of attention you want.

Published: May 5, 2005

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