Real estate is one of the few professions where meeting strangers alone in empty buildings is simply part of the job.
You advertise your schedule publicly. You work in homes you did not secure. You meet complete strangers in isolated locations every day-and trust that every appointment will end the way you expect.
Most do.
Some don't.
According to the National Association of REALTORS(R), nearly 1 in 4 real estate agents has experienced a situation that made them fear for their personal safety. Yet most agents enter the profession with little or no training designed specifically for the risks they face every day.
The Safe Agent was written to change that.
Written by a veteran law enforcement officer, FBI Violent Crimes Task Force member, law enforcement instructor, and licensed real estate professional, The Safe Agent delivers the comprehensive personal safety framework that many real estate professionals never receive.
Inside, you'll learn:
- Why real estate professionals are uniquely vulnerable-and how criminals identify opportunity.
- Professional-level situational awareness that helps you recognize threats before they become emergencies.
- How stress affects your mind and body-and techniques to remain calm and make sound decisions under pressure.
- Practical systems for client vetting, showing safety, open houses, travel, and daily operations.
- The legal and ethical realities surrounding self-defense and the use of force.
- How to evaluate defensive tools and build a personal protection strategy that fits your experience, comfort level, and local laws.
- Real-world scenarios that demonstrate how preparation changes outcomes-and how good decisions are made before a crisis ever unfolds.
Whether you're a newly licensed agent, an experienced REALTOR(R), a broker, team leader, or someone responsible for the safety of other agents, this book provides practical systems you can begin implementing immediately.
It isn't about expecting the worst.
It's about making sure you're ready if it happens.
As a veteran law enforcement officer, Chase Coughlin served in assignments including SWAT, Defensive Tactics Instructor, Field Training Officer, Dive Team leadership, and the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force before becoming a licensed real estate professional. Having worked on both sides of the profession, he recognized that one of the few careers built around meeting strangers alone had surprisingly little practical safety training.
That realization led him to help shape the safety conversation within one of Michigan's largest REALTOR(R) associations, where he served on the Safety Committee, later as Vice Chair and Chair, developing agent safety programs, de-escalation training, and practical resources for real estate professionals.
The Safe Agent is the culmination of those experiences-a practical field guide designed to help you think more clearly, prepare more deliberately, and return home safely after every appointment.
Because when something goes wrong, you are your own first responder.