Safety First: How Real Estate Professionals Can Leverage Technology for a Secure Career
In the world of real estate, we often talk about "location, location, location." But on our team, our first and most important mantra is "Safety, Safety, Safety."
Whether you are hosting a bustling open house or meeting a new client for a private showing in a secluded property, you are often in a vulnerable position. As real estate professionals, we take this responsibility seriously. Being prepared isn't about being paranoid; it’s about being professional.
The Reality of the Field: Real Estate Crime Statistics
Safety isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a necessity backed by data. According to the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) Member Safety Report:
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Fear Factor: Nearly 23% of REALTORS® reported experiencing a situation that made them fear for their personal safety or the safety of their personal information.
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The "Open House" Risk: Open houses are one of the most common environments where predators or thieves target agents, as they provide public access to a private space with often only one person on-site.
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Targeted Crime: Property theft is the most common crime, but physical assaults—though rarer—do happen. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has previously noted that real estate is a "high-risk" profession for workplace violence because agents often work alone with strangers.
Prevention is the Best Policy
Before we get into the tech, remember these three golden rules:
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The "Forewarn" Check: We utilize Forewarn for every new lead. This tool allows us to instantly verify a prospect’s identity, criminal history, and financial risks using just a phone number. If they aren't willing to give a number or their background looks suspicious, we meet at the office first.
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Share Your Schedule: Never go to a showing without it being on the team calendar.
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The "Exit First" Rule: Never let a client get between you and the exit. Always let them walk into a room first.
Your Mobile Safety Protocol: iPhone & Android
Your smartphone is the most powerful safety tool you own. Most people don’t realize that both iPhone and Android have "Silent Emergency" features built-in. Here is how to use them:
🛡️ For iPhone Users (iOS)
How to Call for Help:
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Method 1: Press and hold the Side button and either Volume button until the sliders appear. Keep holding to trigger a siren and an automatic emergency call.
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Method 2 (Discreet): Rapidly press the Side button 5 times. This is perfect for triggering an alert while your phone is still in your pocket.
How to Alert the Team/Family:
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Open the Health App.
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Tap your Profile Picture -> Medical ID -> Edit.
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Scroll to Emergency Contacts and add your primary safety contacts (e.g., Jeff or Dana).
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Why this matters: When Emergency SOS is triggered, your iPhone automatically texts these contacts your live GPS location.
🛡️ For Android Users
How to Call for Help:
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Most Android phones have a "Safety" or "Personal Safety" app.
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Go to Settings -> Safety & Emergency -> Emergency SOS.
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Toggle on "Use Emergency SOS." Usually, pressing the Power button 5 times will trigger the alarm, call emergency services, and share your location.
Set Up Emergency Sharing:
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In the Safety app, tap Emergency Sharing.
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Choose your contacts.
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You can set it to start sharing your location automatically if you trigger the SOS.
Helpful Resources
Join a Team That Has Your Back
At Frontgate, we believe that real estate is a team sport. We don't just hand you a desk and wish you luck; we provide the tools, the tech, and the physical safety protocols to ensure you can focus on what you do best: closing deals.
Why Frontgate?
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Leads Provided: We keep your pipeline full.
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Conversion Partners: Support on every deal to help you close more effectively.
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Investment Opportunities: We help our agents build long-term wealth through exclusive investment options.
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Safety First Culture: Your well-being is our top priority.
Ready to take your career to the next level with a team that cares? Let’s chat! Reach out today to learn more about our open positions and how we can grow together.
