HGTV does no justice to the real profession of real estate agent. It is so much more than driving around in a nice car while sipping lattes and unlocking dream homes. In fact, I drive a Subaru, gulp an occasional Coke Zero (way better than diet) and consistently struggle to fit a key into a lock intended for the likes of Fort Knox. Once the door is open, most of us spend a good chunk of our time walking into empty houses with strangers we met online in neighborhoods where Google Maps won’t even go.

On Monday afternoon, I got a call from an unknown number. Since it was local, I decided to pick up. Scam and sales calls aren’t always easy to spot, so I tend to take my chances. The exception is solar panel pitches — I intentionally answer those. Honestly, I enjoy chatting with their callers for a while and giving them a bit of “continuing education” about the so-called “value” they claim to add to homes. (Spoiler: they don’t.) For everyone else, I’ve gotten pretty good at expressing my lack of interest and hanging up before they launch into their pitch about extended warranties on the car I don’t own.

The gentleman on the other end told me he was looking for a local Realtor to sell his home. Now, keep in mind, most realtors get a plethora of these types of calls on the daily as well. They are generally lead generation companies who are looking for agents who will “partner” with you to help you grow your business. You just pay them a small fortune each month and they will send you a list of “exclusive leads” that have also been sold to 12 other agents in your same zip code. Rather than getting more leads than you can handle, you’ll have more emails than you can delete. Either way, even though this man sounded like he was sitting in the midst of a noisy call center, he did say he needed someone to specifically sell “his” home, so I took the bait.

He instantly disclosed that he would be interviewing several agents before making a decision, and that he had a less than desirable experience with his last agent. I explained that I would love the opportunity to be interviewed to see if we were a good fit to work together to get his home sold. All the while, still, somewhere in the back of my head, that little spidey-sense was buzzing like a mosquito trapped in a lampshade.  I continued to talk to him for the next couple of minutes, asking questions about his work schedule, timetable and reason for moving. We set an appointment, and I asked for his name and address. I wrote them down, hung up the phone and immediately switched into full recon mode.

The second I hung up, the investigative part of my brain kicked in, Google being the first line of defense. I started with his name. Nothing sketchy. Then the address — legit property, decent neighborhood, no boarded windows. Next came the phone number. Many of us have Realtor safety apps on our phones that can provide just enough information about a person to potentially keep us safe. There were no scam alerts, no burner-phone vibes on this guy. That’s when I really went in: Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram. And there he was, a real person with a real job.

I exhaled. My spidey-sense eased off, but not completely. Just because someone looks normal on LinkedIn doesn’t mean you don’t still bring your phone, share your location and keep your car pointed toward the nearest exit. Since I have a mentorship program, I generally invite one of my newer agents (usually one who is much bigger than myself, which isn’t difficult since I am the size of an average 10-year-old), to accompany me. It gives them some experience and both of us an extra level of protection. (I have been known to grow muscular and turn green when provoked — hulkish even).

Most face-to-face meetings turn out to be legit. However, every good agent learns that “trust but verify” isn’t always enough. Lately, it is more like “verify, verify again, and then share your location just in case they’re a serial killer.” For first-time buyer meetings it is a good idea to meet in a public place first. Perhaps an office meeting to discuss the process, get a pre-approval and a copy of some sort of picture identification (not just a Costco membership card) would be a good idea. The old adage “listen to your gut” is not just a saying. If my instincts scream “nope,” I don’t have a problem cancelling. I have only done this once in my career, but with no regrets. A commission check isn’t worth an episode on Forensic Files.

Fortunately, my Apple watch doesn’t just track my workouts, it also has that handy safety app on it as well. There are a few apps available and they all do a little something different. And let’s not forget about security cameras, smart doorbells and GPS tracking. Thank you, technology.

I love what I do, but I’m not naive about the risk, even in Utah. Too many agents have stories — close calls, weird encounters and moments where something didn’t feel right but they went anyway. Most of us downplay it because we don’t want to look dramatic. But maybe being a little dramatic is part of the job. After all, we can stage a house and an escape route.

So, each time that unknown number flashes across my phone, I make that quick decision — answer it or let it go to voicemail purgatory. Maybe it’s a million-dollar listing. Maybe it’s someone trying to sell me health insurance (again). Or maybe it’s someone I’ll meet in a dark hallway of a fixer upper. Either way, one rule stands firm: No sale is worth not coming home.

Jen Fischer is an associate broker and Realtor. She can be reached at 801-645-2134 or jen@jen-fischer.com.