{"id":70082,"date":"2021-08-11T10:32:19","date_gmt":"2021-08-11T14:32:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.myewm.com\/?p=70082"},"modified":"2021-08-11T10:32:19","modified_gmt":"2021-08-11T14:32:19","slug":"app-deters-crime-by-tracking-realtors-in-the-field","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.myewm.com\/?p=70082","title":{"rendered":"App Deters Crime by Tracking Realtors in the Field"},"content":{"rendered":"
You can\u2019t put a price on personal safety \u2013 but if you could, it would be free for Florida Realtors\u2019 members. SafeShowings, a phone app and member benefit, discourages problems because it logs client photos and automatically calls for help if you don\u2019t respond within 45 minutes.<\/span><\/h6>\n
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ORLANDO, Fla. \u2013 Criminals rely on anonymity, and the overriding benefit of\u00a0SafeShowings<\/a>, a real estate phone app, is psychological as much as logistical.<\/p>\n

SafeShowings has agents take a photo of customers before traveling to non-public places, such as a home showing. Should anyone have crime in mind, they know their photo has been logged. This feature alone will deter most crime, since perpetrators know they\u2019ll likely get caught.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

However, SafeShowings also has a preset system that calls for help, even if an agent can\u2019t access their phone. The app\u2019s 45-minute default \u2013 it can be adjusted based on agent preferences \u2013 calls an agent\u2019s emergency contacts once that time has passed.<\/p>\n

Florida Realtors\u2019 member benefit –\u00a0\u201cFlorida Realtors is providing the app free of charge to all its members,\u201d says Florida Realtors President Cheryl Lambert. \u201cThis app could save your life.\u201d<\/h4>\n

According to Lambert, 38% of the nation\u2019s 1.3 million agents have felt unsafe at some point in their real estate careers \u2013 over half a million Realtors.<\/p>\n

\u201cSafeShowings mobile app was developed by South Carolina Realtor Helen Hudson after a situation that made her fear for her personal safety,\u201d says Lambert. \u201cThe smart, simple-to-use app lets you record the buyer\u2019s name, automatically capture exact GPS addresses, and prompts you to take a photo of each potential buyer \u2013 a feature unique to SafeShowings.\u201d<\/p>\n

Florida Realtors CEO Margy Grant calls the photo tool \u201cthe certainty of being caught,\u201d noting that it\u2019s a more powerful deterrent than punishment for a crime.<\/p>\n

Florida Realtors developed a\u00a0video about SafeShowings<\/a>, which is now available on floridarealtors.org.<\/p>\n

How SafeShowings works<\/h3>\n

Agents take a picture of a client. To avoid problems with photos, SafeShowings suggests saying that a third party requires it, such as the sellers or that it\u2019s your broker\u2019s policy.<\/p>\n

When getting out of the car, agents press a button saying a showing has started. When back in the car, they press a button saying the showing has ended.<\/p>\n

The default time for a showing is 45 minutes but that can be personalized. In any case, a list of emergency contacts the agent listed within the app will be contacted if the time has passed and the \u201cend showing\u201d button has not been tapped. All emergency contacts will receive the exact location and time, and they can give authorities a secure image of the customer\u2019s face.<\/p>\n

Lambert says the app doesn\u2019t just protect Realtors \u2013 it also protects homeowners.<\/p>\n

Possible criminals have \u201cseen where the homeowner\u2019s security system is, where the children\u2019s bedrooms are, and maybe even where valuables are stored,\u201d she says. \u201cIf they return later to commit a crime, the SafeShowings App ensures that you\u2019ve got a current photo of everyone who\u2019s looked at the property.\u201d<\/p>\n

The app is available through the Apple Store and Google Play. To register and get started, visit\u00a0safeshowings.com\/floridarealtors<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

You can\u2019t put a price on personal safety \u2013 but if you could, it would be free for Florida Realtors\u2019 members. SafeShowings, a phone app and member benefit, discourages problems because it logs client photos and automatically calls for help if you don\u2019t respond within 45 minutes. ORLANDO, Fla. \u2013 Criminals rely on anonymity, and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1401,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_expiration-date-status":"saved","_expiration-date":0,"_expiration-date-type":"","_expiration-date-categories":[],"_expiration-date-options":[]},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.myewm.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70082"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.myewm.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.myewm.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.myewm.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1401"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.myewm.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=70082"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/blog.myewm.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70082\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":70087,"href":"https:\/\/blog.myewm.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70082\/revisions\/70087"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.myewm.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=70082"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.myewm.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=70082"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.myewm.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=70082"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}