The Safety Series: ‘Is This a Safe Neighborhood?’ Don’t Answer That

Let’s say you have a buyer who heard about a mugging a block away from the home you’re touring, and that buyer asks whether she “needs to worry about that kind of thing around here.”

Pause and use your situational awareness skills. What kind of neighborhood are you in? Depending on the circumstances, the client’s question could be a loaded one. And if you’re not thoughtful and careful about how you respond, you could easily introduce a fair housing problem. Listen as host Tracey Hawkins helps two real estate pros role play the scenario to come to the right answer.

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Meet the guests:

Firdaus Rahman, GRI, PMN, is an agent with RE/MAX Partners in Mobile, Ala. Originally from Pakistan and a 31-year real estate veteran, Rahman also is an instructor of NAR’s “At Home With Diversity” certification course and a fair housing instructor. Rahman has deep roots in the Women’s Council of REALTORS®, having served on WCR’s executive and strategic planning committees as well as the head of the Alabama state chapter and a regional vice president. Rahman is a founding director of the Asian Real Estate Association of America (AREAA).

Geoff Fahringer is an agent with Downing-Frye Realty in Marco Island, Fla., and a 50-year career law enforcement officer who served as a SWAT team member for 19 years. He is the 2024 president of the Marco Island Area Association of REALTORS®. Fahringer’s “Situational Awareness for REALTORS®” PowerPoint class counts toward two hours of continuing education credit for NAR members in Florida. In addition, Fahringer is the safety and training bridge officer for the Marco Island Yacht Club as well as the safety officer for the Marco Island Power Squadron.

This episode is sponsored by:

Podcast Transcript:

About the Host

Tracey Hawkins, also known as “Tracey, the Safety Lady,” is a former real estate agent who founded her own safety education program, Safety and Security Source, in 1995. Hawkins is a content creator who teaches 12 interactive safety classes that she wrote herself. She teaches agents to stay safe and build their businesses by protecting the consumer. She teaches brokerages how to reduce liability. Hawkins has written expert safety content for REALTOR® Magazine and other national real estate publications, including RISMedia, Inman and The Close.