FM Durham Tech Bytes: An app for safety?

Recently there have been reports of three homes in Apex, NC that had jewelry stolen during open houses.  This is a reminder that agents and homeowners need to take some steps to make sure their open house is a safe one.  According to National Association of Realtors less than 1% of buyers purchase a home they saw at an open house, however 45% use it as a source of information in the search process. The open house is a smart lead generation idea for an agent and a good way for sellers to let prospective buyers see their home, you just want to make sure it is safe.

Moby is a GPS software company that provides a smartphone safety app for real estate professionals.  Moby released the results of their 2011 safety survey as part of a free Safety Toolkit. Available now from Moby’s website, the toolkit can be used by real estate associations, offices, and individual agents to provide safety education and awareness.

“Many real estate professionals find themselves in situations that put their personal safety at risk, such as meeting new clients alone or visiting unfamiliar neighborhoods at night, which are all considered necessities to simply fulfill the everyday requirements of their job,” says Rob Goehring, co-founder and VP Marketing and Product Management for Moby. “The number of agents and brokers who feel unsafe is alarming, yet they assume the risks as part of the business but have indicated a strong demand for safety training to better prepare and resolve safety issues.”

Moby is a private location sharing app.  It can help you locate family members and see their exact location on a map, family members can check in with you to let you know when they have arrived at their destination, and with the push of a button you can ask for help while instantly notifying your family members of your location.   With Moby, you can control who can see your location and for how long.  They have apps for iPhone, Blackberry and Android.  Best of all, its free!  Give it a try and stay safe!


Brandon Penny
bpenny@fmrealty.com
http://www.facebook.com/fonvillemoriseydurham
(919) 402-1201