SAFETY FIRST ... SAFETY ALWAYS

The goal of the REALTOR Safety program is to reduce the number of safety incidents that occur in the industry, so every REALTOR comes home safely to his or her family every night. We will accomplish this goal together by improving the safety culture in the industry: Talk about safety; create a safety plan and follow it; and encourage your fellow REALTORS to do the same. Below are some important tips to think about when planning your safety strategies.

Ohio REALTORS has created a safety brochure with information and resource materials. VIEW BROCHURE

Know what to do if an emergency should occur in the office. Talk to your local fire department about office-appropriate fire and evacuation drills.

Restrict office keys to those who need them. Maintain a record of keys, including issue and return dates, name and signature of recipient and outline the protocol of what to do if a key is missing.

Get to know all prospective clients before showing the property. Use your intuition. If you feel uneasy, have someone else with you, or don't show the property. 

Be on guard at all times during an open house, especially at the end when one or two people may linger in the property.

Have an emergency number, like 9-1-1 on your speed dial and always keep your cell phone on you while meeting a new client.

Avoid distractions while on the road. Answering texts while driving can be very tempting, but here's a fact: If you text and drive, you're 23 x more likely to have an accident. Put down the phone and send texts after you've parked your car.

Avoid public Wi-Fi. Free wireless networks are convenient, but they can put you at risk of hackers who can access data sent over unprotected networks.

Inspect your bank account transactions, credit card statements and credit services for suspicious activity on a regular basis. Identity thieves often test bank accounts with small purchases before making large withdrawals.

Keep track of your colleagues. Have a check-out employee board at the office, listing name, destination, customer name, date and expected return time.

Have a weather app on your cell phone that will send a warning in the event of a tornado, hail, blizzard or other weather hazard.

Stop. Look. Listen. Before you get in. Pay attention to your surroundings and approach your car with keys in hand ready to open the car door. Always look in the back seat before getting in, lock the doors right away and get moving.

Make sure your car keys are on a separate ring from your house and office keys. That way if you misplace a set of keys, you won't lose them all.

Four absolutes when you should bring someone with you to an appointment:

• When the property is vacant;
• When there is poor cell service;
• When you experience an uncomfortable feeling; and
• When you haven't closed a deal in a while.