SafeShowings: Personal Protection for Florida Realtors
Real estate agents as well as homeowners have been targets by criminals throughout the years. We can only do much to protect ourselves. We recommend following safety tips shared by the National Association of Realtors, state realtor organizations, brokerages, and fellow agents. Adding a tool to our safety protocol, like smartphone apps can help us feel confident. Helen Hudson, a South Carolina Realtor, developed the SafeShowings mobile app. Helen experienced a situation that made her fear for her personal safety. She has a passion to make a difference for clients and other real estate professionals.
How SafeShowings App Work:
The app is simple to use. It lets you record the buyer’s name, automatically captures your exact GPS address, and prompts you to take a photo of each potential buyer. You can download the app from App Store or Google Play. For Florida Realtors, you can click here to get your free download.
- Set up your list of emergency contacts.
- Capture a secure image of the client’s face at the beginning of the showing. It is encouraged to enter the name and phone number of your client and “create a showing” on the app before getting out of the car.
- After a showing ends, click “end showing.”
- If you fail to press “end showing,” your emergency contacts will be notified of your exact location and time. The authorities will have a secure image of the client’s face.
- For multiple showings with a client, you only need to capture the client’s face once. In this scenario, it is recommended that you keep your timer going by pressing the reset button after you finish each showing. Each time you press the reset timer, the SafeShowings APP will update your location.
Your and your client’s safety is important. You can check other resources for personal protection on NAR’s website.
