It wouldn't bother me. We give a copy of a driver's license every time we test drive a car, we show our driver's license to pay for anything with a check or even to ship a UPS package.

I live in NYC--we expect people to be paranoid. In my city, they'd probably ask to HOLD your photo driver's license, and then they'd return it when you got back from the tour.

I can understand this and would go along with it if it meant the safety of agents. I also think it's a good idea for agents to have a GPS system that allows the office or spouse to track the vehicle.

I'd walk out of your office. I might be willing to give you a scan with my DL# crossed out. You are concerned about your safety, I am concerned about identity theft. Since no system is full proof, and you couldn't guarantee to me the integrity of everyone in your office, I'd be gone.

When we do a test drive I ask for the scan back as we leave. Those that do an OCR my husband stands over until they blot out our DL#.

Too many people doing too many bad things with information they really aren't entitled to.

Xamsx, every time you write a check you give your name, address, checking account number, and bank routing number to an untold number of strangers.

Every time you charge a meal in a restaurant, numerous low wage people have access to your name, credit card number, and expiration date.

As far as identity theft is concerned, I think that giving your drivers license to a real estate agent is the least of your concerns.

You may be perfectly fine, bethesdamadman, giving your real estate agent your DL, your doctor your SS#, etc., etc. I am not.

I'd think a GPS would be number one on any RA's list of saftey features in both his/her car and cellphone.
The buyer giving his or her DL as proof of who they are is pretty lame. Way too easy forge them, just think of all the teens either very sucessfully or semi-successfully forging them just to get into bars.
I'd think a thumb print would be a better method along with a picture id.

I think it is a good idea. There was a serial rapist in my area that targeted houses that were for sale. He went after the women at home alone rather than the agents, but it just as easily could have been the reverse.

Here is a link that might be useful: News story

Way too easy forge them, just think of all the teens either very sucessfully or semi-successfully forging them just to get into bars.

NJ went digital, almost everyone has one of these new licenses which has a bar code on it that could be scanned

Not so sure anyone can forge these

Sue36, thanks for the link to the news story. I had an incident the other day where I heard the key in the lockbox, and in came this man, of course he was an agent, but made me feel quite uneasy. I had oral surgery the day before, and was sitting at the computer at 2:45 in the afternoon, still in my pj's, as I thought if anyone wanted to see the place, I would get a phone call. He insisted he called and left a message, but I know better. He then said he called and the line was busy. I was probably on the phone, so it kept ringing, and he probably thought no one was home. I have a dead bolt which now I keep locked, and will not open my door unless I receive a phone call FIRST.

I've sent the article on to my agent, and will also have printed on the listing:MUST call owner before viewing. This way he keeps track of who comes and goes, which makes me a little more comfortable.

Thank again! ;o)

Can't say I blame you, but it doesn't do much for the agent's safety during open houses:

Here is a link that might be useful: Agent murdered while showing model home

We were watching a movie the other night, maybe on USA - can't remember... Anyway, it was about a pregnant agent that got kidnapped. They killed her to get the baby.

Being a woman in the business has to be tough, especially these days where there's more scenarios that can play out that never happened 10 years ago. Having a buddy system also might help.

It's getting too dangerous to not do something

I think most innocent people will agree to this and if they are worried about id theft (you really should have some amount of worry about this) then you could offer something else for them to hold - your library card, a gift card you have, your bagel shop punch card, something that has some value to you and your name on it? (Just kidding on the bagel card.)

I know a dentist who was counseled to take someone with him for all emergency calls. Same idea, people arrive in 2's, one to pretend they have the legit issue and the other to jump/rob/hurt you. Or, female's who claim you were inappropriate during visit...this was during dental school 20 years ago...

I'd be willing to do this and I really don't understand why someone would be worried about identity theft. My license has my name, address and Soundex number. All of that info is easily gotten from other sources.

I wouldn't have a problem with it, although I don't get in the car with the agent, and if someone objected to giving their ID they don't have to get in the agent's car either. :-) If they're "from away" they can rent a car (although they'd have to show ID for that too!). I hate being driven around by anyone except my DH because I get carsick (I prefer to drive myself), and so many agents (and one would assume their cars just by virtue of the person spending so much time in it) smell so strongly of perfume/aftershave/etc. that I would be moaning "pull OVER, I'm going to puke" in half a mile. When we were househunting in 2004 we didn't ride around with the agent either. It actually seems to be the norm around here - I've gotten back early for several showings and sat in the parking lot next door to read, and have often seen three and sometimes four cars come out of the driveway. Most agents I've encountered up here have those GPS mapping devices in their cars and if I didn't know where the property was already (although I did drivebys on every house first so I knew where it was) I could get the directions off their gadget before we went to the house, if traffic looked heavy enough that I couldn't just followed them.

Frankly, I think it's totally nuts to get into a car with someone you don't know and have no way of really knowing if they really are who they say they are, so I don't fault agents for wanting to know whom they're with.

Pattycakes, that is one of the main reasons why I REFUSED to have a lockbox. I sleep odd hours and about the last thing I wanted was for someone to walk into my bedroom while I was asleep because I didn't hear the phone. Also, once an agent has the lockbox combination (the vast majority of the lockboxes you see here are the old combo ones, it's very rare to see the computerized ones) s/he could tell it to anyone, get into the house whenever s/he wants (don't even try to tell me every single agent out there is perfectly law-abiding, that's just wishful thinking), have their purse/briefcase/PDA/laptop in which they have the codes stolen - and in looking over people's shoulders because I'm always curious ;-) I see the codes are often written down with the addresses, sometimes along with the pin-code to shut the alarm system off! A friend of mine had a fit when the realtor's house key originally had a tag with the address on it - what if someone drops it in a parking lot?? So they put her name on it instead. Once we move out a lockbox (electronic if possible) will authorized but not while we are living here. Thankfully it is not the norm in this area to put a lockbox on an occupied house.

A realtor in Tucson was raped a few months ago either in a showhome or taking a client around looking at houses.

I would have no problem giving ID to the realtor to copy for their safety, just as I have no problem giving their information to people who will want to know where I am.

Our lockboxes here are electronic. They use a barcode scanner to unlock it.

johnmari: "Pattycakes, that is one of the main reasons why I REFUSED to have a lockbox. I sleep odd hours and about the last thing I wanted was for someone to walk into my bedroom while I was asleep because I didn't hear the phone."

Whenever I list a house for sale, I always request a lockbox that hangs from the top of the door so that I can remove it when I'm home. I would never keep a lockbox outside while I am in the house for the exact reasons noted by johnmari and pattycakes. (Except I'm afraid that my wife and I would be in the bedroom NOT sleeping!) ;-)

We rented an apartment while our house was being built. As we were setting up the rental, every time we wanted to see an apartment, they copied one of our driver's licenses. We went back and forth over a period of about a week seeing several different units, and even after they knew us by name and by sight, they followed the procedure.

Welcome to the new order of things.

I tried to present this question in a neutral way. Your responses have been a real eye opener for me, so thank you.

In my office it's come down to a "battle" between long established agents and newer agents. Those in business for a long time want nothing to do with this. They argue that the majority of their clients are referrals or repeat business. They fear it would be offensive to those people. Others argue it would give the competition one more thing to use against our company. (We already have at least one policy/service unique to our company and agents with other companies try to use it as a reason to not use our services.)

If I was a seller, it would give me some peace of mind knowing agents had some id from prospective buyers.

Personally I can see both sides of the issue. In the long run I think it will be essential. I don't think my office will want to be on the "cutting edge" on this issue though. Too bad as most of you seem to be fine with the idea.

As far as open house safety--yep, it can be scary. I rarely will do an open house in an out of the way area. I always wear a jacket with pockets at open houses. I keep my car keys and cell phone in those pockets and always stay closer to the door than whoever is viewing the home. 911 is on speed dial. Of course my DH always knows where I am. I would never go down into a basement with a stranger--especially in a vacant home.

When I show houses to strangers, I always have my DH call me about 5-10 minutes after the appointment begins. We've worked out a plan for me to let him know it's okay. If I feel funny, I can pretend there is an emergency and cut the showings short. I've not had to do so yet, but it's wise to be prepared.

bmadman--I've never seen a lockbox that slips over the door. Since I'm height challenged it would be a problem for me!

I think it creates a lot of waste (either paper, if hardcopy or time, if electronic) and has the potential to annoy buyers, which is a no-no for business.

For what? Safety? Ridiculous. If you are so afraid, make use of the second amendment and get a weapon (gun, taser, whatever) instead.

For the off-chance that the buyer is a criminal out to harm you? Also, if I was a criminal out to get you, you honestly think this would deter me? It would give me a reason to actually harm you _more_ to get this ID copy back.

We as a society are getting WAY TOO paranoid and cowardly.

Jrldh, I totally disagree with your WAY TOO paranoid/cowardly comment! Are you a man/woman? If you're a man, you're looking at things from a whole different perspective~you're stronger, bigger, and in general, less likely to be attacked. If you're a woman....well I should't have to explain, but you're opinion is more than likely not the norm of most women.

I'm a woman, alone most of the time when DD is at work~then it's two women alone. I'm not a paranoid type of person, but in this instance, I feel being cautious is a given, as strangers will be coming into my home.

I've decided if a realtor comes solo, i'll step outside on the patio while he views the place. If he calls FIRST, I won't be here when he and his client get here, as it's not in the 'comfort zone' of some buyers. ;o)

I actually would be impressed with a RE agency that requires such...as it demonstrates responsibility and concern for the welfare of their agents. After all, if they don't care about the safety and well being of their breadwinners, why on earth would they treat their clients any better?

REA's have the right to do what they can to protect themselves by taking a moment to obtain ID.....and, this is even more advisable if the REA is female...as law enforcement has warned women for years to avoid placing themselves in vulnerable situations if at all possible.

By necessity, a REA has to place themselves in vulnerable situations; anyone who would deny them the ability to do what they can to legally safeguard (which excludes the above mentioned weapons in most cases)their well being in that situation is in effect saying that the REAÂs safety is irrelevant.

IMO,...I'm just surprised this was not adopted as an SOP by NAR a long time ago..

If you are so afraid, make use of the second amendment and get a weapon (gun, taser, whatever) instead.

It takes a lot of training (and recurring training) and a certain personality to be able to effectively protect yourself with a weapon. Even trained police officers have had their weapons taken and used against them. This is a terrible suggestion to make.

There's no way I'd give my drivers license to someone to be copied. Sorry, you don't need that information from me, and for those of you who think identity theft isn't real or isn't worth worrying about, trust me, it's real and worse than you think. That said, I don't ride around with my agent, so there's no need for any of this from me.

"IMO,...I'm just surprised this was not adopted as an SOP by NAR a long time ago.. "

NAR is very concerned about their agents safety and has alot of information available to them.
To make a copy of the drivers license is a good idea, but should not be relied upon as the best and only safety procedure.
Fake buyers have come back and killed agents at the second showing, the agent knew the "buyer" from the first showing and nothing happened, so no DL copy was made when the agent met the "buyer" at the property. The copy of the DL had been returned to the buyer or was destroyed.

Here is a link that might be useful: Field Guide to REALTOR® Safety

I believe September is REALTOR safety month.

buster--it's not so much having a stranger in the car that is a concern for most agents. One can always intentionally crash a car if in danger. It's entering empty houses with a stranger that is more of a concern.

A bad guy riding in the agent's car isn't the only risk, or even the riskiest risk, to the agent:

even if agent & "buyer" each take separate cars, once you're in an unoccupied house with someone you don't know, you're in a very vulnerable position.

A lot of my business is referral, but when I've requested identification or driver's licenses from men looking at houses alone (red flag unless you know the person, have spoken to wife, have called his office & been transferred to his extension by the receptionist, etc) or out-of-towners, I've never encountered any objection.

A person who refuses to allow me to take safety precautions to protect myself may just be someone I can't afford to try to help with their real estate needs.

& the fact is that you just can't tell.

Ted Bundy, the mass murderer whose total number of victims may never be known, was apparantly just adorable. Everybody liked him, everybody trusted him.
Girls & women cheerfully got into the car with him.

& women are by far the most likely potential victims, men are more likely to be the aggressors, & men are almost always stronger than women, especially in upper body strength.

Even a 10-year-old boy can overpower many grown women.

Here's how I learned that my own desire to agree with a potential client, to please a customer, is something that could get me killed:

In a personal safety seminar, a trainer asked women to imagine that they are alone in their office on an upper floor of an office building after hours.

Everybody else has gone home.

The woman pushes the elevator call button, &, when the elevator arrives & the door opens, she sees a man standing inside, all alone.

The trainer asks, "Do you get in the elevator or not?"

Of course everybody knows the right answer & says nooooo, we wait for the next elevator.

Trainer says, "Okay, you know the right answer, but in experiments when women are confronted with this very scenario, they feel embarrassed that the guy might think that they don't trust him, & he'll think they're rude, or he'll get his feelings hurt, & so *they get into the elevator*."

The guy in the elevator knows whether or not he's the bad guy, & he knows that the woman can't tell;
a reasonable man would understand her position & would not be offended that she made the more cautious choice.

...but it took me a long time to write my post, & bernie posted in the meanwhile!

but here's another incident that reveals how very good some con artists are, & how homeowners can be targets too:

Several years ago, there was a rash of thefts from occupied homes;
a man would call a real estate office & ask to look at very nice homes, mentioning that he worked for the federal government/Microsoft/some other credible & massive employer, & that he was retiring & wanted to pay cash.

He willingly provided phone #s, etc.

He said his wife had flown in for the week-end, & they wanted to look at everything in the price range, as she had to fly back Sunday night, but no new houses, as he didn't want to put in a lawn, etc.
(New houses don't have jewelry or cash lying around.)

Some poor agent would spend her week-end showing this couple all the nicest homes.

When they found "the one", they'd settle down in the kitchen to discuss terms.

Then one of them would have to go to the bathroom.

When he/she returned, they'd say they were tired, they wanted to take the contract back to the hotel & sleep on it, etc.

Homeowners returned home to find jewelry, cash, small valuables...gone.

License plate #s, phone #s, employer info were all fake.
Hotel where they were staying hadn't heard of them.
Driver's license, when an agency thought to ask for it, was a fake with a "bad photo, doesn't even look like me, ha ha."

So I'll advise everyone here as I advise all my sellers:

When you put your home on the market, please lock your valuables away in an unobvious place:

coins, cash, jewelry, scrimshaw or other pocketable valuable things, prescription medicines, weapons...

all of these items are attractive to the right "buyer".

bethesdamadman;
"Every time you charge a meal in a restaurant, numerous low wage people have access to your name, credit card number, and expiration date."

How can you assume that "low wage people" are more likely to steal your identity (or other information) than "high income people". "Lower income" people are usually more honest than anyone else, beacuse they are just afraid of loosing their job, etc...

If I were YOU I would think twice before I putting such a statement on a public forum... This clearly shows your disrespect and ignorance to many people... this is very sad.

In that bethesdamadman probably eats in restaurants and hands over credit cards to restaurant employees regularly, it seems to me he places lower income people in high esteem and trust. I'm not sure how you, goldeneyedaisy, made the leap to him being disrespectful and/or ignorant.

It wouldn't bother me a bit to give the REA my driver's license to photocopy. It just has a driver's license number on it, not my SSN, and I've not heard of anyway someone can use that number for identity theft. Has anyone got any information otherwise?

I agree that REAs should make sure that the person they're going to see houses with (whether they drive together or separately) and that multiple people know where they're going, when they should be back, etc. There are a lot of dangerous people out there.

Being a seller, my home is 'wide open' with the lockbox. My realtor just called and told me to keep the deadbolt locked when i'm here alone. If an agent 'drops buy', he'll have to call my agent and arrange a time, or i've give my realtor permission to give out my numbers, so they can call me directly.

Is this not wise, either? ;o)

Drivers License contains name, address and BIRTH DATE. Also signature, at least in my state. This is a good bit of info for ID theft.

Install a $120 storm door that can be locked. I have one, and if it's locked, the lockbox can not be accessed. It's also nice to keep the bugs out.

A name, address, and birthdate are often enough for someone trying to steal your identity. I wouldn't be at all concerned when a realtor wanted my driver's license before driving off with me somewhere. At the very least, even if all the information on the DL was fake, the picture could still be verified by the realtor as mine. A real picture strikes me as a relatively good deterrent. However, I work in consumer finance and see a lot of legitimate DLs with pictures that look nothing like the people presenting them. Who knows?

In any case, I wouldn't expect anyone to go to some secluded location with me without verifying, to some extent, who I am.

As far as exercising your 2nd amendment rights, sure, some cops are overpowered and their guns are used against them. However, think about how many police officers are carrying weapons and working every single day. It's much more likely that a police officer will be the victim of deadly violence than the average citizen, simply because of what they do every day. Average citizens (carrying weapons) deter crimes all the time, but they don't get the same news coverage as some random lunatic killing a bunch of people.

If you are a realtor (or in any other profession that requires you to meet with strangers in a secluded environment), you really should consider taking steps to make sure you don't become another needless victim. If you're not comfortable with anything stronger than pepper spray or an asp, so be it. However, a firearm is another legitimate tool of defense. They really aren't scary. I am probably the least likely person in the world to be handling a weapon, and I have become perfectly capable with most revolvers and semiautomatic pistols in a relatively short period of time. You don't need to be Rambo. You just need to use common sense. Guns are very simple machines. They don't just go off. Just like car engines don't just blow up. 99.9% of people with a concealed carry permit don't want to ever have to use the thing. A good number of people who are victims of random violence could have benefited if someone nearby had been carrying and willing to take action to stop some violent criminal.

Just a thought.

I'd show. Makes perfect sense to me. A lot of wackos out there...

I am probably the least likely person in the world to be handling a weapon, and I have become perfectly capable with most revolvers and semiautomatic pistols in a relatively short period of time. You don't need to be Rambo. You just need to use common sense. Guns are very simple machines.

The issue isn't just about being able to use a handgun. Anyone can learn that. It is about having the instincts, reactions, and physical strength to access, keep control of, and then use the weapon within seconds.

A situation like this with close proximity of the assailant to the victim is particularly prone to having the weapon used against the person carrying it. It is why prison guards who have contact with inmates usually do not carry weapons, to eliminate the possibility that a prisoner might overpower the guard and take the weapon.

'Drivers License contains name, address and BIRTH DATE. Also signature, at least in my state. This is a good bit of info for ID theft.'

Sweet tea, since you put birthdate in all CAPS, I assume you are under the impression that that is private information that would be difficult for someone to acquire. I hate to break it to you, but your date of birth is probably on the Internet for all to see. There is even a specific website that allows anyone to find your date of birth if they have your name and approximate age. The results are given by name and city. Try it for yourself. As a side note, I guess people no longer can lie about their age to their friends! :-0

Here is a link that might be useful: Free Birthday Search

"I am concerned about identity theft."

I am concerned about violent crime, and I think its a worse societal ill than nonviolent crime. Increasing the risk of identity theft in order to decrease the risk of violent crime actually seems like a positive step for society. In this particular situation, it requires people to step up and willingly increase their risk of identity theft in order to decrease the agent's risk. That sort of altruism for the benefit of society is not universal, as the dissenters in this thread demonstrate.

It is a small form of heroism - putting your safety on the line to help someone else be safe. A lot of people just aren't up it.

"name, address, and birthdate are often enough for someone trying to steal your identity"

That info is available from the registered voters records.

graywings-
The issue isn't just about being able to use a handgun. Anyone can learn that. It is about having the instincts, reactions, and physical strength to access, keep control of, and then use the weapon within seconds.

You hit the nail on the head. I am from Canada where concealed weapons (guns and knives of a certain length and girth) are illegal as are unregistered guns. I now live in the US and my husband loves hunting and guns.

He tried to get me to learn how to shoot one *for defense purposes* and I felt so uncomfortable. He kept saying "you have to be able to defend yourself". I had a very hard time with that line of logic because where I come from, defending oneself is not a foundation of our country like it is in the US (the amendment on right to bear arms).

So, as a compromise, I have pepper spray and a police baton in the nightstand drawer. I keep the cellphone by the bed in case the phone line is cut.

One of the reasons I'm so afraid of holding a gun for defense purposes is exactly what you cited - it could be used against me. I do not have enough upper body strength to fight off an intruder, let alone if I have to somehow reach for a gun under the bed in time to shoot him before he gets to me. I don't have enough experience with them to be able to confidently react quickly enough to protect myself before he is able to use his superior strength to his advantage.

For me, it would be more dangerous to have a gun.

I was glad to see that trying to find my birthdate on that link returned no hits even when I put in my current age.

When I added 21 years I did get 4 hits including one for my aunt-by-marriage who shares the same name.

I do own a gun and keep it here in the house and take it on long trips and night time trips. If I were an REA I'd seriously think about carrying it all the time.