The nature of the real estate profession requires awareness and preparedness when it comes to safety. A REALTOR®, when meeting new clients, showing properties, or sharing information online, may find himself or herself in unsafe situations. Luckily, there are a variety of tools available through a smartphone that can enhance safety practices. Adding one or more of these applications can help REALTORS® be prepared to handle unforeseen safety issues.
Please note: The apps noted are provided for reference only. These apps were listed by NAR and are only for informational purposes.
SafeShowings (included as a member benefit)
Price: Free to members through Idaho REALTORS®. Learn more and sign up at idahorealtors.com/safeshowings.
When using SafeShowings a real estate professional can feel confident they are doing everything they can to deter criminal activity by capturing and validating the identity of those they bring into a home.
SafeShowings is the first app of its kind! It captures an image of the potential buyer’s face. If you are unable to end a showing safely, the SafeShowings app will not only notify your emergency contacts and 911, it securely captures an image of the perpetrator’s face. This approach deters criminal behavior because the person intending to do harm will be trackable or will be deterred all together. Download the SafeShowings app on the iOS and Android app stores.
Forewarn
Price: $20 per month with an annual agreement for individual agents. Discounts are available for brokerages and associations purchasing licenses in volume.
FOREWARN allows agents to work safer and smarter by instantly verifying a prospect’s identity and potential risks prior to a face-to-face engagement. In seconds, with as little information as a phone number or name, agents can verify a prospect’s identity, criminal records, bankruptcies, liens, judgments, address history, and property records all in one place, leading to safer and more productive interactions. FOREWARN customers can log in and access the service via the FOREWARN mobile app or from a web browser.
Homesnap Pro
Price: Free for REALTORS®
Agents using Homesnap Pro can now set a Safety Timer when they go to a showing with an unfamiliar client.
Prior to a showing, set a timer for how long you expect to be at the location and select your emergency contacts. If the timer expires, a text message will be sent to your emergency contacts that you are in distress. You can also send an instant distress alert to your emergency contacts with just one tap.
Kleard
Price: Kleard Lite is free and Kleard Pro is $19.99 per month. Special pricing available for MLS and REALTOR® Associations.
Kleard is an app that provides smart technology for open houses and showings by verifying buyers in real-time. This means better overall safety and more productive open houses.
A 2019 NAR REACH® Company, Kleard is an app that provides smart technology for open houses and showings by verifying buyers in real-time. Some features include: automated safety alerts if you don’t end a showing, urgent alerts for both showings and open houses, courtesy start/end notifications for emergency contacts, and validated open house sign in information. Open houses with Kleard are safer and more productive since information is verified on-the-spot with plenty of productivity tools included to help you get closer to your next transaction.
LifeLine Response
Price: $9.99 per year
LifeLine Response is the first and only patent-protected personal safety mobile app that utilizes natural human reaction to respond to emergency situations.
Through codes and interaction, you can set an alert for emergency contacts that you are in danger. Trigger an extremely loud alarm to deter attackers or use the silent alarm to ask for help. Once an alert is detected, the response verification center will reach out to assess the situation and contact authorities with your GPS location, if necessary.
People Smart
Price: $19.95 per month
PeopleSmart can perform a background check on prospective clients before you meet them.
PROtect
Price: 100% free trial. Unlimited use subscriptions start at $39.99 per year. Volume discounts and monthly pay-as-you-go billing available for brokerage/corporate purchases.
Built by a top real estate agent for top real estate agents, PROtect is an app for iOS and Android that helps improve your personal safety when you are working alone hosting a private showing or open house.
PROtect allows you to add your office manager, team members, friends or even family as emergency contacts (or what we call “PROtectors”). The app then monitors your location during your open house or private showing and automatically sends out an SOS to your PROtectors when the you haven’t checked in at the pre-scheduled time or if you indicate you are in an emergency situation. But PROtech also goes a step further than simply blasting out an alert. In the event of an SOS, the app provides tools to your PROtectors so they can co-ordinate their actions, locate you, and help get you out of distress, even if they may not know each other personally.
See Something Send Something
Price: Free
Have you ever seen something suspicious, but weren’t sure how to report it? Now you can. Download See Something Send Something and you can inform authorities if you see a potential threat.
The See Something Send Something system developed by My Mobile Witness connects concerned citizens, first responders and law enforcement directly to key intelligence centers throughout the United States. Submitted tips are routed through a network of State Fusion centers run by State Police and State Offices of Homeland Security & Preparedness. The system routes geo tagged suspicious activity reports using a patent pending methodology for storing law enforcement data and protecting citizens privacy.
SentriKey® Real Estate App: Agent Safety Feature
Price: Free
Providing ways for agents to stay safe at showings is a priority for SentriLock, NAR’s official lockbox solution and REALTOR Benefits® Program partner. The SentriKey® Real Estate app includes an Agent Safety Feature that provides an automatic way for contacts to be alerted in the case of an unexpected or potentially dangerous situation.
When using the SentriKey® app to open a lockbox, the Agent Safety Feature will launch. After a set time (approximately 90 seconds, or as determined by the agent), the app will prompt for a status update and will alert your designated emergency contacts if you do not or cannot confirm you are safe.
Trust Stamp
Price: Free
Trust Stamp is a 2016 NAR REACH® Company. The Trust Stamp app for REALTORS® is a quick and simple tool to establish the identity and trustworthiness of a stranger before meeting them and/or providing access to your client’s home or property. This app is available only to members of the National Association of REALTORS® and is accessed using your NRDS number.
Wearsafe
Price: Subscriptions start at just just $5 per month. Cancel anytime.
Wearsafe uses location, audio, group chat, and one-touch 911 making it the smartest way to call for help.
At the first sign of trouble, pressing the Wearsafe Tag keeps you a step ahead of the situation. It uses the power of your phone to alert friends and family of your location, sends them audio from the scene, and starts a live chat room where they can coordinate a response or call 911. All while keeping your phone—your lifeline—out of sight.
Remember, these apps are only one tool to keep REALTORS® safe during real estate transactions. Keeping the phone charged and maintaining a strong signal when meeting someone new is also important. For additional ways to stay safe on the job, visit nar.realtor/safety for additional tools and resources.
