Real estate is a contact “sport”. Houses don’t list or sell themselves without the help of human beings. As a real estate agent, you HAVE to meet people in order to do your business. Unfortunately, not everyone that you meet is on the up and up, and some of these people may actually do you harm.

One of the places that we are most vulnerable to running into creepy people is at our open houses. Another is when we get that “Can you show me the house at …?” and we go running off to meet a stranger at a house.

Both of these scenarios take place every week, and every week real estate agents may find themselves in potentially dangerous situations. I recently ran across an app for your smart phone that may save your life (Available on both iPone and Android platforms). It’s called Real Alert. I gathered the following information from their website:

REAL ALERT is ideal for emergency situations or anytime you feel your safety is threatened. REAL ALERT helps you to stay alert and aware of your surroundings, provides quick access to emergency services & directs you to the closest hospital.

• Ward off a potential Attacker with Quick tap “ALARM”
• Save precious moments with Quick tap “CALL 911”
• LOCATE the nearest HOSPITALS using your current GPS location
• Record “CREEP DATA”, details about a suspicious person before they are forgotten
• Speed dial your emergency contact with Quick tap “ALERT A FRIEND”
• Handy flashlight

Simply visit the appropriate link, fork over $1.99, (Stop complaining! $1.99 to provide some security is a bargain!) download the app and install it. Spend a few minutes learning how to use it and buy yourself some peace of mind.

Here is the link for iPhones: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/real-alert/id436455476?mt=8
Here is the link for Android phones: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.realalert.android

Here is a tip: KEEP YOUR PHONE AND CAR KEYS ON YOUR PERSON AT ALL TIMES! What good will this app be if your phone is out of reach when you need it?

Stay safe out there!