In early April, a Rhode Island REALTOR® who is listing a vacant property received a call from a potential buyer, who claimed to be an investor. He made an appointment for him and his business partner to see the property together. While the listing broker waited outside the property, the “business partner”, a physically intimidating man, arrived on his own in a beat up car with no sign or word from the person who made the appointment. The “business partner” asked no questions about the property nor did he was carrying a notepad or device on which to take notes. The listing broker saw these as a red flags, so she unlocked the home and decided to wait outside while he viewed it. He urged her to accompany him into the house several times but she refused. Subsequently, she found out that the client had a criminal history of breaking and entering and drug-related offenses. Because she trusted her gut instinct and stayed outside, returning to the house only to lock it up after the client had left, she stayed safe – even at the risk of offending a potential customer. If you find yourself fearing for your safety, don't hesitate to contact a friend, co-worker and/or police to alert them about your situation. Protect yourself. Check out more safety tips and resources here. RIAR will be offering a class #399 Consumer & REALTOR® Safety with Stephen Antoni on April 19th from 9 a.m. to noon. Register for the Consumer & REALTOR® Safety course