I hate to be a wet blanket, but I came across [this news article[7 News]](http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/5952827/detail.html) yesterday and it really bothered me.

Professionals inspecting property, especially real estate brokers, can be victims of assault and even worse by individuals posing as purchasers. Appraisers and home inspectors are also at risk but are less likely to have this type of problem since they generally don’t travel alone with customers. However, they still should use caution.

I would think that most real estate brokerage firms have some sort of safety procedures and training to address these types of issues.

Here’s some [helpful safety tips [About].](http://homebuying.about.com/od/realestatecareers/a/safety_tips.htm)

I found a few older articles in [series of columns [Realty Times]](http://realtytimes.com/news/anpages/19980720_nightmare1.htm) that is also unsettling. I ran across [more articles (here’s one with a safety device discussed) [KOMO]](http://www.komotv.com/news/story.asp?ID=32172) in my research but these are enough for now.