The First Rule of Safety: Know Who You Are Dealing With Release date: 03/01/04 Real estate agents and property and vacation rental managers routinely find themselves in situations where they are alone with clients or customers that they know very little about. The very nature of showing real estate to prospective buyers and tenants who are virtual strangers can make agents, both men and women, susceptible to becoming victims of violent crimes. Before you think about joining a prospective new client alone – in a car or property – consider the following tips from the N.C. Real Estate Safety Council:   Meet Them at Your Office First Ask the prospect to stop by your office so you can complete a Client/Customer Identification Form before going to a property. You can download this form from NCAR’s Web site at www.ncrealtors.org. Be sure to retain the information at your office and make sure the client or customer knows that others in your office will know their name, address and other personal information.   If you can’t get them to come into the office first and decide you still want to work with them, err on the side of caution. Let someone in your office know whom you are meeting with and the location and time of your meeting. When the client or customer arrives at the property, jot down the make, model, color and license number of their car and phone your office with this information before you proceed.   Photocopy or Scan Their Driver’s License Legitimate clients do not mind you copying their driver’s license. We freely show our license to the clerk at the grocery store when we write a check and show our ID to rent a movie. We can expect identification from a prospective client before we show a home worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.   Get Their Car Description and License Number It’s easy to do, and it will assist police in catching a criminal or finding you if you are abducted. If the car is stolen, your prospect will be reluctant to give you a license number.   Verify Their Identity This may entail calling references, his/her place of employment, and verifying their current address. One crime victim suggested using an Internet site like nc123.com to check out a prospective client for criminal records before working with them. Introduce the Prospect to Someone in Your Office A would-be assailant does not like to be noticed by others, knowing such persons could pick him or her out of a police lineup.   Don’t be a statistic. By working together, we can make this world a safer place for REALTORS® and their families.