Best Practices for Safety During Shoots

Most of the time when you are going to appointments for a listing, you are showing up alone and may be alone during the shoot if the home is vacant. In some cases the homeowner and agent will be there, and possibly other family members. We want you to know how to keep yourself and your gear safe, below are some additional safety tips while you are at an appointment. 

Confirm your appointment time to the home 24 hours before with the agent and homeowner. You do not want to show up to a home to a surprised homeowner that forgot you were coming on a certain day. It will be time wasted because they may not be prepared or it could be a dangerous situation. 

Ask the agent questions about how you will access entry to the home, who will be there, if pets will be present, and anything else that will be helpful information to know. Will you enter the home with a lockbox or will the homeowner let you in? Ask what type of lockbox is on the house, many realtors use bluetooth lockboxes that have special requirements for gaining access. You do not want to get to the house and not be able to unlock the door. Most agents recommend that pets are not present during photos or are secured in a crate, but it is good to confirm this information ahead of time. 

Stay vigilant when working in vacant homes by yourself. Encountering squatters is very uncommon, but it does happen and being prepared can make all the difference.