As REALTOR Safety Month comes to a close (and we prepare to welcome October and more beautiful fall weather!), we hope the message of this series continues long beyond September:

Safety is part of the way we do business every day.

Over the past few weeks, we have talked about creating a safety strategy and incorporating practical safety habits into showings, open houses, client meetings, travel, and other aspects of your work.

For our final post, we want to look at some of the tools available to help put those plans into action—and highlight one particularly valuable resource available to EMTAR members.

Technology Can Be Part of Your Safety Strategy

No app or device can take the place of good judgment, situational awareness, and sound safety practices.

But technology can add another important layer of protection.

NAR maintains a collection of personal-protection resources that includes smartphone applications, emergency-alert systems, client-verification tools, wearable devices, safety timers, panic buttons, and other products designed to help real estate professionals work more safely.

Some tools can alert designated contacts when an agent fails to check in. Others allow a user to send an emergency notification or location information. Some help verify the identity of a prospective client before an in-person meeting.

The key is finding tools that fit naturally into your own safety protocol and then making a habit of using them.

And for EMTAR members, one of those tools is already available.

We provide FOREWARN to our members at no additional cost. That is a significant member benefit—and one we encourage every EMTAR REALTOR to know about and use appropriately.

FOREWARN is a prospect-intelligence and verification platform designed specifically with real estate professionals in mind. NAR lists it among its smartphone resources for REALTOR personal protection and notes that it allows agents to verify a prospect’s identity and identify potential risks before a face-to-face meeting.

With as little as a phone number or name, FOREWARN can help REALTORS access information useful in confirming that a prospective client is who he or she claims to be. NAR notes that the service can provide information that includes identity data, address and property history, and certain public-record information.

Think about the practical value of that.

An unfamiliar person calls and asks to see a vacant home. A prospective buyer contacts you through the internet. Someone you have never met asks you to meet at an isolated property.

Before simply getting in your vehicle and heading to the appointment, you have a tool that can help you know more about whom you are meeting.

That knowledge can inform your next step.

Use the Tools—And Use Good Judgment

FOREWARN should be one part of a broader safety strategy, not a substitute for one.

Continue following the fundamentals we have discussed throughout this series:

Meet unfamiliar clients in a public or professional setting first when possible. Let someone know where you are going. Keep your phone charged. Be mindful of cell coverage. Know your exits. Avoid entering areas where you could become trapped. Do not overshare personal information. And if something does not seem right, trust your instincts.

Technology works best when combined with good habits.

We also encourage brokers to make REALTOR safety an ongoing topic in their offices. Review your firm's procedures. Talk through potential scenarios with your agents. Make sure new agents understand available safety resources. And periodically revisit your practices rather than assuming everyone knows what to do.

REALTOR Safety Month Ends — Our Commitment Does Not

September gives our industry an important opportunity to focus attention on REALTOR safety.

But October 1 should not mean putting the subject away until next year.

NAR encourages REALTORS to make safety a year-round commitment by continuing their education, staying current on available resources, and following their safety strategy every day.

That is a commitment EMTAR shares.

We are proud to support the more than 1,200 REALTORS® who serve buyers, sellers, property owners, and communities throughout our region. We want you to succeed. We want you to enjoy long, rewarding careers in this profession.

And most of all, at the end of every day, we want you to make it home.

If you have not yet activated or begun using your EMTAR-provided FOREWARN benefit, now is a great time to do so. Learn more here.

Stay aware. Stay prepared. Stay safe.

#MakeItHome

About EMTAR: Chartered in 1969, our Association’s 1,200+ REALTORS are a proud part of the 36,000+ members of Tennessee REALTORS and of the 1.5 million+ members of NAR, all working to serve the public and protect the rights of America’s property owners. EMTAR members are known not only for their unmatched real estate excellence and high ethical standards, but also for being generous, hospitable, others-focused, loyal, hardworking, and eager to help wherever and whenever help is needed.