Ah, a very important topic!

I think agents who do a lot of business with new people (my people are almost all repeat/referral) should absolutely take safety training and learn basic self-defense.

Also, vetting folks before you meet them is critical. If they don't Google to 'who they say they are' and I look up company information etc . . . then I would not go alone to meet them or even meet them at all. 

I cannot confirm or deny that in any unfamiliar situation I may be armed. 

Tammy,

We meet at a café and follow whatever the county says.  Although we have kept our licenses active, we are not listing or seling now...When we were working in commercial real estate, we met at their place of business, which were in class A highrises or buildings they owned.  Safety was never an issue. With prospects, we met in a public place--coffee place again in high end well trafficked areas...A

Office. And only office. 

Yes we work from our home.  All the usual protocols are met when we meet with folks and that's kept everyone safe.  Since we don't meet with strangers but rather referrals or people that already know us, it really makes no difference, we still use the same protocals.

Sadly I must state for the record that in a predator-prey scenarios women remain at a severe disadvantage when going anywhere alone in some places. Even two women are no match for a predator. Weapons won't help either. Extra precautions must prevail over-whelmingly until threat is reduced

First, I have a regular brick and mortar office in the middle of Carmel-by-the-Sea's commercial district to meet up with clients.  Even if I had a home office, I would not give that information to the public or meet someone there. What safety precautions do I use? I've travelled throughout the world my entire life,  most often alone and have always had to look after myself and did.  Real estate, on my home turf, is easy by comparison.  Best advice: be willing to "get out of there" if you feel in the least threatened.  

rarely do I meet a potential client without meeting at office first. exceptions are referrals from other clients or business partners and attorney referrals.

Don't do it alone. Meeting strangers, open house or first date, don't do it alone. PERIOD. Full Stop.
Today, business safety takes on a different responsibility. Yes, I hear others when they say 'I need to live my life,' but I also so I will be meeting others that day also. I owe it to the innocent to go beyond the call of duty. This means when I meet strangers the proper protocol is in place. I return home to change clothes and shower before next meet up.  Here in Florida, nearly everyone you meet has a 90 year old in their life. I do.

Now, if an agent has created no relationships that ensure they don't go alone, these agents must meet strangers in public or professional spaces, never in a location selected by the stranger.
I have the good fortune of having Sasquatch alongside. His presence has even eliminated the sexist crap that was tolerated before.
Evil doers are looking for opportunity. Going alone means they are one head knock from opportunity.

I Google potential new clients after the first phone call. During the phone call, I also get a perception of them. If something seems unusual, I pay attention to it and follow up with them before the meeting. In my rural area, I'm not very concerned about safety issues. I do carry animal repellant just in case. I'm usually more worried about a dog bite.

I go alone, but even when I'm alone I'm never truly alone...

I also do recon to make sure they're the owner on listing appointments.  Buyers can't do recon, but most of mine have been referrals so no recon required there.  I have people who always know where I'm at though and what's going on.

I have never had a bad experience but I do try and vet customers before we meet.  Back in my early days I would rush to meet someone but it is low payoff and sets a bad tone for future meetings.  

  Hi, Tammy.  Long 6-point answer here:

      Discreetly photograph their automobile and vehicle license tag.  Photograph the person or persons.  Immediately email those photos to a secure email account.  *** Unless you are audio recording someone in Florida, this is totally legal.  There is no "expectation of privacy" on a street in front of a house, or on a front porch visible from the street.  See an attorney for legal advice.

     Apprise the situation before exiting your vehicle or entering an unsecured area.  What is going on around you?  As police officers say, "Have a 360 degree field of vision at all times".  Or, as my Marine Corp son-in-law says, "Stay left of the bang!"

     Have an escape route.  Don't get boxed into a corner of a room or a fenced yard.  Where is the door?   Can you get to it without someone blocking your path?

    Beware of anyone you don't know, regardless of their appearance.   The well-dressed charming sophisticate might be more of a threat than the mean-looking foul-mouthed riffraff that you meet.  

     Carry a weapon.  Know how to use it.  Train and practice on a regular basis.   Be mentally and physically ready to use it.  *** If you are threatened or assaulted, and you point pepper spray or a firearm at an assailant, you cannot  flinch or hesitate even for a moment.  If you lack the fortitude to pull the trigger, then do not carry the weapon.

    Above all:   Stay "prayed up".  Stay physically fit and mentally sharp.  Remember, YOU are your First Responder!

I do not meet strangers ... I get requests frequently to show a property - often out in remote areas. I respond with ... end me your lender approval letter and proof of funds, and that makes them disappear ... poof - like magic. 

I am an older white male working in one of the safest communities in the United States.  I rely on my Faith and really don't concern myself with safety procedures.  It's fortunate and a blessed life.

armed

We work by appointment only. No walks in

I did just meet a new family at the first home I showed.   Before this happens, I have conversations, have them call the lender or show proof of funds and google the buyers and the cell phone number.

I have an office I take some clients to, but not often, it is out of the way for some buyers.    

In the old days met people at the office. Before I retired met people at a coffee shop for the first meeting 

Distance away from the prospect helps in the rural location real estate show and tell... the buyer from eight and more hours away reaches out before the trip if they come at all. You know them with the back and forth. Any worry about a "stranger" is removed when they buy without setting foot in the home or walking the land property lines too. More and more we meet in person less and less due to COVID, buyer time constraints and a better job using video production technology. Often we meet the buyer's brother or uncle who lives closer and is from Maine that becomes the extra set of eyes and ears for the online far away buyer.

ALWAYS meet at the office, even if you do most of your work from home it is wise to meet for the first time at your brokerage office, or at least at a public place.

I work from both and meet at the downtown office, never at my home office. Cameras catch everyone walking through the door and I also carry.

Even as a man, I use safety pre-cautions. Not meeting anyone at vacant homes alone for the 1st time. Parking so i can get out quickly. Never be blocked in. Getting there early and looking around. Carrying protection. Meeting new would be clients at a public place

I mostly work with people that have been referred to me by people I know well. Periodically I take a self-defense for Realtors® class put on by my firearms instructor. A small canister of pepper spray is a good thing to have if carrying a weapon is mentally uncomfortable. 

I now work from home, Tammy Lankford, 

I meet new buyer and seller clients on Zoom.

I meet new buyer client for the first time, in person, after they have gotten preapproved for a mortgage and filled out the Coronavirus form that explains the expectations, dangers, and restrictions regarding visiting a house that is for sale.

By the time I meet clients in person, I know more about them than I ever did in the past.