If you manage and show commercial properties, you should be aware that this may be one of the most potentially dangerous careers in real estate. You’re typically showing a vacant property to a prospective customer, and may be far from other people and buildings, putting you in a very vulnerable position.

Here are several steps you can take to protect yourself before you set foot on the property:

1. Communication plays a vital role when you’re showing vacant property. Know who you are dealing with. Insist that you have information recorded both at the office and with you about the client.
2. Notify a colleague of your schedule and whereabouts.
3. Be sure your cell phone is serviceable in the area in which you are showing the property.
4. When the property is vacant, be aware of the time of day you are showing it. Showing a property at dusk or after dark, with no electricity on in the space you are showing, is setting yourself up for trouble.
5. Get to know all prospective clients before showing the property. Use your intuition. If you feel uneasy, have someone else tag along or don’t show the property.

(Source: Georgia Association of REALTORS®)