We’ve seen a large increase in the amount of business that is done online because of the pandemic. For REALTORS®, much of buying and selling homes has moved online, with virtual showings, people searching listings online versus in person, and meeting with clients via Zoom or Facetime. The more time spent online, generally means more information is available on the web. While it is easy to just post information online, especially information regarding your listings and contact information, don’t get too comfortable with posting too much information. Too much information may backfire for you, resulting in potential identity theft, theft at open houses, or a burglary at a property listed as vacant. Here are some online safety tips for REALTORS® to help you stay safe online:
Social Media: While social media is a widely popular way to connect with potential customers, and have your property reach a vast network of potential buyers, it can also be a place where hackers or criminals find information easily. Making sure you keep personal details, such as your birthdate, personal phone number, personal information such as pictures of your family off your business page is important to help deter this information from getting into the wrong hands.
Make sure you also do not post specific information regarding properties, such as addresses, seller’s contact details, whether the property is occupied or not, or if it is incredibly private. If you have images and video tours of the properties online, make sure anything valuable, personal photographs, and specific location information is left out. This will help keep your listings safe from potential criminals who would scour the internet looking for homes that might be on the market, unoccupied, with valuables at the property.
Checking in online: It’s fun to check in online and share with your network if you’re somewhere fun for vacation, at a great restaurant, working out at the gym, or visiting family and friends. These check ins also allow others to know that you are busy, or not in the area, which gives them a green light that your listings may be vacant, and no one will be around for a while. If you’re going to be gone for a while, make sure you have safety measures in place for your listings prior to leaving. This could be having a colleague check in at your properties while you are away, ensuring alarms are on, doors and windows are locked, and if you have video security, that the tapes have enough space on them to record all footage while you are away. Having signage outside properties that alerts people that the house is armed as well as has video surveillance will help deter potential burglaries. Also alert any local police that you will be away and the property is vacant, so they are aware in case they see any suspicious activity.
What goes online, stays online: Even though we may be careful about what we post about ourselves online, it is very easy for someone to have a picture or information about yourself and post online without you knowing. What may seem innocent, could actually be revealing about your family, past or current personal life. Having alerts set up on social media to inform you when certain friends post, or when you are tagged in a post can help you monitor what information about yourself is made available online is an important piece to remember when reviewing online safety tips for REALTORS®. Setting up something simple such as Google Alerts to inform you when something about yourself is posted online, can be helpful to ensure information about yourself that is made public online will not affect your reputation, or give away too much personal information about yourself.
Taking precautions online will greatly help your safety both online and in person. The internet can be just as dangerous as it is useful, so ensuring you monitor the information made available about yourself, your business and your listings will help keep all parties involved safe both online and offline. We hope these online safety tips for REALTORS® helps keep you and your colleagues safe as the real estate market and tools we use to market listings continues to evolve in the world today. Follow our blog for more great tips and information!
