LawsonGroupMediation

Besides my career in law and a short stint as a real estate agent, I also served in law enforcement.  I was a State Trooper in Wisconsin for 9 years and a Special Agent for Maine Drug Enforcement Agency.  In addition, I was a police officer in municipalities for 4 years.

As a result, I have been often asked by other real estate agents about how to stay safe.  This happens after news reports of agents being assaulted or killed while showing houses.  Here is my response.

First and foremost, it is critical to adjust your attitude.  Say what?  By this I mean that you must choose and practicing thinking about choosing an attitude that you will survive, no matter what.  This is an attitude that you will never give up, never give in, and you will not be a victim.  This attitude is much more important than you may realize.  It is this attitude that will motivate you to get training, to practice, to stay alert, to practice safety precautions, and to not freeze emotionally.

After my state patrol training, I wondered how I would react when I experienced my first violent encounter.  I wondered if I would freeze emotionally, forget all of the training I had just mastered, and if I would still be alive afterward.  I did not have long to find out.  When it happened, my training kicked in and I handled it just the way I had been trained.  It happened very quickly and I did not have time to think anything through.

I discovered afterward, and ever since, that choosing that attitude makes a lot of difference.  It is that attitude that makes one move quickly as a reaction, rather than freezing emotionally and succombing to fear.  So, choose that attitude that you will never be a victim, that you will never give up.

Next, the most important thing to do is to program your reactions.  A response is a well-thought-through plan that you execute.  A reaction is your initial instincts, what you do before you can think about it.  We all have our default reactions: fear, flight…whatever it is, it almost assuredly the wrong action to take.  You program your reactions simply by thinking through various scenarios and the proper actions to take.

I learned to do this from my police training.  Whenever I approached a vehicle in a traffic stop, I would think through a number of “what if…’s”  When I pulled into a convenience store, I thought through where I should park, how I should approach the entrance without seeming paranoid, and a variety of what-if’s.

The result?  One time I pulled into a convenience store, following the procedures that I programmed into my thinking.  As I apprached the corner of the store, something caught my attention and I stopped by the corner of the building.  The entire front of the store was reflective glass, and it took several moments to make out what was going on inside.  I was then able to make out that the clerk had his hands in the air, that there was someone in front of him and then I observed a shotgun.

Immediately, as I started to draw my weapon, I heard some popping sounds.  I looked to my left toward the alley behind the store and saw an old car with a driver holding a gun and shooting at me.  I immediately returned fire, and the car suddenly backed up and out of sight behind the store.  About that time, I saw out of the corner of my eye the other subject come out of the store and pointed the shotgun at me.  He fired the shotgun just as I ducked around the corner. I came out to return fire and observed him going around the other corner of the building and out of sight.

I then heard the racing of a car engine, and the car reappeared and headed down the alley.  As it came into view, I returned fired on the vehicle preventing them from shooting at me again.  A high speed chase ensued for a while before they crashed into a parked car.  They were then taken into custody.

I did not have time to think anything through.  The entire incident at the store took place in less than a minute.  However, I did everything instinctively that I had programmed into my thinking for the previous weeks, months, and years.  We do the right thing instinctively when we program our reactions by thinking through all possible scenerios and what the right reactions to take.

You can do the same thing each time you show a house.  Practice thinking through all of the possible what-ifs.  But what are the right things to do?  Some of them will be obvious, but I highly recommend that you receive training in personal defense.  This training is often provided upon request by police departments and other organizations.

So, the right attitude and programming reactions.  These are the most important safety precautions.

Now let’s list some practical suggestions.

1.  Never meet an unknown potential buyer at a house for a showing.  When I received my Keller Williams training, they emphasized the wise policy to never show a home to an unqualified buyer.  They recommended to meet potential buyers at the office first, make a copy of driver’s license as part of office policy, and prequalify them.  This makes good sense and will eliminate a lot of the dangerous situations.  You have time to get acquainted, time to assess character and motivation.  One time I prequalified a young couple.  They objected to the office policy of making a copy of their drivers licenses, and in the process I caught them in several subtle mistruths.  I refused to show them properties and they stormed out.  The next day I heard in the news about a man-woman team who were burglarizing homes for sale.  My two people matched the discriptions, but I never found out if they were the ones who committed the crimes.  However, it underscores the validity of this precaution.

2.  When alone at an open house and anyone appearing bigger and stronger than you comes to visit, welcome them and tell them you are expecting a large group of people to arive any moment to see the house and you are happy they got here before the group.  Then, instead of meeting in the kitchen, meet them at the front door with the door open.  In inclement or cold weather, you can keep the front door mostly closed, but slightly ajar.  In good weather, as an alternative, you could meet them outside.

3.  When arriving at an unoccupied home, before going in, drive up and down the street looking for suspicious people or people sitting in cars at a distance.  Then walk around the home looking for broken windows, unlocked doors, or other signs the home is not secure or broken into.  Often it is small young people who gain access for alcohol, drug, or sex parties inside the home.  Look in windows if you can.

4. Make arrangements with someone, like the office greeter, to call them when you go in and that person call you every 10 minutes to check on your welfare.  If you are with people, just make prearranged comments that indicate you will call them back later.  That way you are both safe and communicating to the people you are with that you value your time together.

There are many other things that you can do, however, the foregoing are the most important considerations.

I encourage you to choose your attitude, obtain training and program your reactions, and abide by some common sense practical rules for your safety.  You are worth it.

Ken Lawson, JD

TheLawsonGroup Mediation Services