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.

Published: September 13, 2006

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Ralph R. Roberts, CRS, GRI is an award-winning and internationally recognized real estate agent, author, coach, and speaker. Throughout his career, Ralph has proven his commitment to helping other real estate and sales professionals build upon their past and present success, grow and expand their businesses, and provide a rich and rewarding future for themselves, their customers, their employees, and their families. As president and CEO of Ralph Roberts Realty, Ralph has personally helped thousands of consumers realize their dream of homeownership. While selling over 10,000 homes (and buying and selling over 3,000 investment properties) throughout his 30-year career, Ralph has made the time to mentor and coach hundreds of professionals in real estate, sales, and a host of other fields. Ralph is a recognized authority on Real Estate and Mortgage Fraud; Residential Real Estate; Personal Salesmanship; Sales Force and Office Management, Motivation, Design, and Team Building; and Foreclosure Self-Defense and Loan Modification, fields in which he has demonstrated his commitment to preserving the American Dream of Homeownership. Ralph's numerous websites, blogs, seminars, and speaking engagements engage, entertain, and educate both consumers and professionals. Ralph is also an accomplished author with several successful titles to his credit, including: Power Teams: The Complete Guide to Building and Managing a Winning Real Estate Agent Team Financing Real Estate Investments For Dummies (John Wiley & Sons) Mortgage Myths: 77 Secrets That Will Save You Thousands on Home Financing (John Wiley & Sons) Foreclosure Self-Defense For Dummies (John Wiley & Sons) Protect Yourself from Real Estate and Mortgage Fraud: Preserving the American Dream of Homeownership (Kaplan) Foreclosure Investing For Dummies (John Wiley & Sons) Foreclosure Myths: 77 Secrets to Saving Thousands on Distressed Properties (John Wiley & Sons) Advanced Selling For Dummies (John Wiley & Sons) Flipping Houses For Dummies 52 Weeks of Sales Success (John Wiley & Sons) Walk Like a Giant, Sell Like a Madman (John Wiley & Sons) Cross-Cultural Selling For Dummies (John Wiley & Sons) To learn more about Ralph, visit AboutRalph.com, check out his daily insights on real estate and mortgage fraud prevention at FlippingFrenzy.com, or visit his latest blog dedicated to helping distressed homeowners fight foreclosure, KeepMyHouse.com. You can reach Ralph at or by calling (586) 751-0000.