A leasing agent I formerly supervised asked me to write these tips and post them. Sure, leasing agents can carry a walkie-talkie, cell phone or pepper spray, but it’s wise to give yourself the extra edge.

I’m not a security expert. However, I have leased and managed in high-rises and know these ideas are useful. Actually, the first three work for showing any type of apartment!

1. Always use the deadbolt to block the apartment door “open.” When you enter the model or a vacant, turn the deadbolt lock so that it lightly props the door in the open position. Then there’s no fumbling around if you need to make a quick escape.
2. Always put yourself between the customer and the door to the apartment. It takes practice at first, but you can learn to always lead your customer with your voice or gesture into one room or another, keeping yourself closest to the door of the apartment.
3. Never walk out onto a balcony with a customer. Some people find this strange advice, but I cannot tell you the times I’ve been behind a leasing agent who walked out onto the balcony ahead of me. I could have either pushed her off the balcony, or locked her outside on the balcony. Think the latter wouldn’t matter? Try yelling for help from a 55^th floor balcony in a noisy city.
4. If you have to run, head for the stairwell, not the elevator, and run upward, not down. If approached dangerously, the attacker might well figure you won’t push an elevator button and wait. But no one expects you go to up the stairs to get out. People naturally run downward. You can escape to another floor if you hear the stairwell door open. Then you can get to second stairwell, or already be calling 911.