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Searching for your new home marks an exciting time in your life. But this means that both you and your real estate agent will be meeting a lot of new people in potentially unfamiliar locations. Safety is likely top of mind for agents, given how many open houses they host and the number of strangers they meet over the course of showing a home. But if you are looking for your first home, it’s good to know what to expect. Here are few tips from industry experts to help your house hunting process go smoothly.
Communicate your plans
A good rule of thumb for both real estate agents and prospective home buyers is to let someone know when and where you’re conducting meetings or visiting homes. A security expert speaking to REALTOR magazine said real estate agents should always “leave the name of the client, the address, and the time of the meeting,” and have a “safe person” who always knows your whereabouts.
Real estate agents and home buyers should consider clearly communicating any meeting plans to their “safe person,” the expert added, and devising a plan for the “safe person” to call or text to check in every 15 or 20 minutes to ensure safety. The expert also advises establishing a “safe word” for situations where an agent or home buyer feels unsafe. It offers a quick, easy way to communicate distress to a coworker, friend, or family member.
When it comes to hosting open houses, similar rules apply. Make sure that the open house was announced widely and that you’ve communicated where you’ll be to a “safe person” just like you would any other meeting.
Know what to expect at a showing
Showings should be scheduled in advance, according to a security expert speaking to the REALTOR Magazine, and the real estate agent should advise the prospective client that he or she will be accompanied by an associate. Other tips for agents include arriving first, ahead of the potential buyers, to open the lock box and unlock windows and doors in the house.
For prospective home buyers, expect a first showing to last anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes, according to realtor.com. Hopefully, you and your real estate agent will have met prior to the showing. But if you haven’t, be prepared to be asked for photo ID. If the home is still occupied, you may be asked to take your shoes off — and it’s a good rule of thumb to ask permission before you begin snapping photos.
Have a safety strategy
The National Association of Realtors advises that real estate agents develop a “personal safety protocol” that they always follow. That’s because according to REALTOR Magazine, security experts classify real estate as a high-risk profession. Many standard aspects of the profession — entering foreclosed homes, open houses, meeting clients for the time, or giving a tour without anyone else present — are all inherently risky, the magazine notes. A real estate agent’s protocol should account for these different situations.
- At the real estate office: According to NAR, real estate agents should know the staff of nearby businesses and be aware of schedules. Don’t make appointments without verifying the phone number you were given. Use a logbook that requires guests to sign in and out (while showing photo ID), and a policy of issuing visitor name tags.
- At home showings: Real estate agents are not advised to show homes alone, according a report in The Los Angeles Times. NAR recommends keeping your phone in hand, and the customer in sight at all times, while also training yourself to be aware of all exits. Prospective buyers also should consider the buddy system.
- Open houses: Similar standard rules apply, according to REALTOR magazine. “Always have another agent, family member, or friend with you at an open house,” a security expert tells the magazine, and adds that if the home owners have security cameras, they should be asked to turn them on.
