A Member has reported an incident in which an individual followed and verbally assaulted her as she removed open house signs in the vicinity of her listing.
The Member was approached by a couple (male and female) in a car as she removed an open house sign in Markham. After particularly strong verbal abuse and spitting, the couple followed the Member to two other sign locations, continuing to berate and threaten her as she removed the signs. She was very concerned that this would escalate to physical violence, as the man proceeded to take pictures of her car and signs. The couple then left, with no other activity noted thereafter.
TREB advises all Members to make sure all safety precautions are taken before, during and after open houses:
- Make sure you check your cell phone's battery strength and signal prior to the open house and carry an extra, fully charged cell phone battery. Always have a plug-in charger in the car just in case.
- Lock your car and keep personal or business information in the trunk.
- Have emergency numbers programmed on speed dial and keep your phone in your hand or pocket. Add an ICE (In Case of Emergency) number to your contacts, which should be your spouse or next of kin.
- Investigate safety apps for your smartphone – GPS, SMS, video, alerts, alarms, and other features can add an additional level of protection.
- If possible, have a colleague or friend help you with open house set up and take down. If possible, have a colleague join you for the whole time.
- Notify a colleague or friend that you will be calling in frequently on an agreed schedule. If you don't call, they are to notify the police immediately.
Did you know? The following are all accessible from the Stratus home page via the Your Resource Centre button.
- Member Alerts (including archived items);
- A Fraud Red Flag Checklist;
- CREA’s ‘The Safe Side - REALTOR® Safety Issues’ brochure; and,
- REALTOR® Safety Tips.