This week the National Association of REALTORS® and associations across the country mark the sixth annual REALTOR® Safety Week. Because of the nature of their work, REALTORS® often find themselves in situations that could potentially pose a threat to their safety. From meeting new clients to hosting an open house, real risks exist that require REALTORS® to approach their daily work with a heightened sense of caution and awareness.

Each day this week MAAR will post various safety tips and resources to inform and remind members about the risks they face throughout the year.

Vacants and Vagrants – Be On the Lookout and Stay Safe

When approaching a vacant property, don’t risk being surprised by uninvited inhabitants who may be up to no good.  Many times vagrants, drug addicts or dealers, or other suspicious and unpredictable characters break into vacant properties and use them for their own purposes.  Heed this advice of Commander A.J. Gwyn, chief instructor of the Southern Crime Prevention Task Force, and stay safe:

• Before entering a vacant property, always walk the perimeter.
• Look for signs that someone may have entered the property uninvited (i.e. trash, broken glass or a window or door ajar).
• If it looks safe, check the door.  If it is closed, but unlocked, DO NOT ENTER!
• If you suspect someone is in the property, or may have recently been in the property but is no longer there – go back to your car, call the police and do not enter!  Do not enter even if you think the suspects are gone – they may be back soon, or may be waiting for you to go inside where you can easily be victimized.
• Do not wait for the police at the property – this jeopardizes your safety.  Instead, meet them at the nearest public space (i.e. gas station, coffee shop, grocery store, etc.)

A police officer will be happy to check the property for you, so never hesitate to call if you suspect someone is on the premises.  When possible, bring a fellow team member with you when checking on a vacant property – there is safety in numbers.  By following these basic tips and being prepared, you will increase your chances of avoiding a potentially unsafe situation at a vacant property.

Posted by Scott Sherrin at 6:00 am

Tags: safety week, vacant properties