September 22 2015
This month, we're publishing content from a course on Realtor Safety. This is the eighth in a series of articles that teaches Realtors how to prevent being a victim of crime. Read the previous article here.
There are several techniques you can use during the initial prospect call to deter a predator, whether their motive is power or profit. Most of these techniques use the information you've learned from the neighborhood and property evaluation you've already done. Additionally, most of that information is valuable information you would pass on to a legitimate prospect because it could make the property more attractive to the legitimate prospect, while making meeting you at that property less attractive to the predator.
If the property is your listing and the statements are true, you'll want to mention the following in the initial call:
Anything you tell the prospect that would be generally attractive to a legitimate buyer, but makes it a less attractive crime location, you should mention.
Obviously, if it is not your listing, you wouldn't know any of this information until after the initial call. An effective sales, as well as security, technique is to follow-up with the prospect prior to the appointment to convey the information and confirm the appointment.
Remember that criminals with a power motive will be more attracted to a victim that is subservient; therefore, establishing control of the conversation and the situation can act as deterrent to a predator. This can be easily done with a few simple techniques:
In both cases, a predator will likely not comply or stop targeting you altogether. Either way, it gives important information you can use to make decisions about your safety. This step will also allow you to find out if this individual has previously met with other agents and if those agents felt uncomfortable with the prospect.
An important part of establishing control is not displaying "victim stance" or expressing that the reason for a particular situation or rule is because of something that happened to you beyond your control. For example, don't say, "I can meet at 6:30 because my car is at the shop and I have to pick it up." Just say, "I can meet you at 6:30." Don't say, "I won't go into the basement because I've had a bad experience." Just say, "I'll wait up here, take all the time you wish."
The idea is to make yourself an unattractive target to someone seeking to do you harm without making the legitimate buyer uncomfortable with you.
During the initial call or follow-up, you'll find the "Training Play" a useful tool in assessing the prospect. The Training Play is simple: during the call, mention that your office has asked you to help train a new agent and he will be joining you. The prospect's reaction to that news may provide you with valuable information. If you choose not to bring someone with you on the appointment, you can simply mention that he had something come up or he's on his way, if the prospect even mentions it.
Read the next article in this series now: How to Have a Safe Showing
September is RealtorĀ® Safety Month. Throughout the month, RE Technology will be publishing excerpts from an educational course on Realtor Safety in partnership with safety app creator Real Safe Agent. Here's the list of articles that have been published to date:
Please consider sharing this important information with your colleagues, your agents (brokers), and membership (MLSs and associations)!