Sept. Is Real Estate Agent Safety Montth, Real Estate Agent Safety App Creator and Former Agent Team Up To Promote Safe Technology Use for Agents

Real Estate Agent Safety App Creator and Former Agent Team Up To Promote Safe Technology Use for Agents




Michelle Jones, a real estate agent who created a smart phone safety app and Tracey Hawkins, a former real estate agent who conducts agent safety training with her company, Safety and Security Source, have teamed up to promote the use of technology for agent safety.



Jones states that an attack against an agent in San Antonio convinced her to do something about her safety. For a while after, her husband accompanied her to showings, however, that was not always convenient. She then worked with an app developer and created Real Alert. “I’ve heard about attacks against agents for years, but seeing the local coverage of the violent attack of a San Antonio agent really scared me. I didn’t want to be the next victim,” says Jones. Her app provides a "quick tap" button that allows agents to Quick tap “Call 911” and a Quick tap “ALARM” to ward off potential attackers. It allows them to speed dial their emergency contact with Quick tap “ALERT A FRIEND”. They can use it to LOCATE the nearest HOSPITALS using their current GPS location and record “CREEP DATA” – details about a suspicious person before they are forgotten.



Hawkins advocates the use of Skype to solve one of the biggest safety issues in real estate, the meeting of strangers/clients at empty houses with no witnesses.

"If you look at the recent crimes against agents, you will note that the agents were in properties with people they did not know or pre-screen. Strangers. Having been a safety trainer for 16 1/2 years, I have tirelessly preached that agents implement "Come Into The Office" (CITO) procedures. Having been an agent, I know that it is not often convenient or realistic. Talking to agents regularly, they simply are not going to do it. Skype is the answer. I also advocate using Skype to check people into Open Houses, as well."



Hawkins states that agents can advise clients that they can either come into the office or Skype for their initial meeting. The agents can ask pertinent client background questions, pre-qualify them after getting financial details and state their itinerary. The most important fact is that clients will know their images are on record for law enforcement officials, if something goes wrong. Agent feedback has been favorable and also that this step will save them time and allow them to pre-qualify clients before they show a single house.



Hawkins teaches social media safety for real estate agents and educates agents about learning what information is out in cyberspace about them and controlling personal information when online. Agents are encouraged to check www.pipl.com and www.spokeo.com to see what information is online about them. She advocates Googling themselves regularly and setting up Google Alerts to stay on top of information about them in cyberspace. She also advises against agents announcing their schedules on either Facebook or Twitter. Criminals can use the above listed resources and find out where they live and stalk them or burglarize them.



"Stalking is a reality for agents and is not often talked about. Social Media tempts agents to over-share not only their schedules, but personal information." She teaches agents to control the information and work safely online.



Both women also want to encourage women agents, who according to the National Association of Realtors, make up 66% of the group's 1.1 million members, to take extra caution in order to prevent rape and sexual assault. Hawkins states the crimes agents are most likely to face are rape/sexual assault, robbery, stalking and murder.



"Although men are victimized, women face the additional prospect of sexual assault. They need to guard against it by educating and arming themselves with safety tools, such as pepper spray and even guns if they are comfortable and willing to get training. Self-defense training is great, but agents cannot rely on just one class. Practice, practice, practice whichever weapon or defense method you choose."



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