Real Estate Agents Getting Real.

My family is looking to move into a new home in the near future, and so we’re meeting up with real estate agents, looking at the available houses in our neighborhood and elsewhere. Most of the houses we’re looking to buy are in established subdivisions with neighbors close by, but we’re also looking at a few properties in the more rural sections of our area as well (can you say “backyard shooting range?”). When we go out to look at a house in those areas, there is no one around for quite aways (which is why we like it), and we meet with the agent at the house. In the middle of nowhere.

Are you starting to see the problem here? An empty house, a rendezvous with total strangers… what could possibly go wrong? To make matters worse, women (especially attractive women) tend to do well in real estate, and as part of their job, they meet up with single men in empty houses all of the time. 

So it comes as no surprise to me that real estate agents are taking steps to protect themselves. Let’s look at things from their perspective: You’re meeting someone you don’t really know inside of a house, in what could be an isolated area of town where there may or may not be cell service. Not a good situation to be in. 

I’m quite happy that 1 in 6 agents carries a gun on them. I’d be happier if 6 out of 6 had some means of self-protection on them and have also read “Creepology,” “The Gift of Fear” and “The Left of Bang” so they can spot problems before they happen. In general, the rule of thumb is “Don’t go to stupid places to do stupid things with stupid people at stupid times.” However, being in real estate means you’re compromising some of those actions. You really don’t have an opportunity to decide which of your clients are stupid people, and you pretty much have to go to stupid places every single time you show a house. 

I’m blessed to live in a truly terrific part of Florida where there is remarkably little crime, but that fact is cold comfort indeed to the people here who wind up being victims of violent crime. Stay alert, stay aware, and if something feels wrong about the situation, it probably is. Also, if you’re looking for more information on how to keep you and your loved ones safe, a good place to start would be the Refuse To Be A Victim class that I’m hosting on April 27th. More information about this award-winning, low-cost personal safety class is available over there, and I urge you to sign up soon, as pre-registration closes in just a month. 

Stay safe out there.