Protecting Client's Private Information

Check out AAR’s sample Broker Privacy Policy.


Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne on Identity Theft from Vimeo

We all know Arizona ranks high on the list of reported identity theft incidents. According to last year’s FTC Report, we’re the second-highest state in the country (behind Florida) for reported identity theft crimes. It’s up to us to protect ourselves and our client’s private information.

Shred Paper

A simple step you can take is to shred any unneeded documents that contain confidential information. In fact Dru Bloomfield and the Attorney General regularly post information on shred-a-thons. Some are free; some are fundraisers. Either way, destroying documents you no longer need is a good habit to develop.

Password Protect Mobile Phones and Laptops

If you have unrestricted access to email on your laptop or mobile phone, you may be putting you or your clients at risk. In the event a client has emailed you a short sale hardship package or rental application, it’s now up to you to keep that info secure. Password protecting your devices is simple.

Mobile Phone Security

If you’d like to take your phone’s security to the next level, there are security apps available for download. On my Android-powered phone, I use Lookout Mobile Security. It’s a freemium app that’s available for Android, Blackberry and Windows Mobile devices. The Pro version is $30/year, and it’ll allow you to lock, wipe or locate your device remotely if it’s lost or stolen. (Some features are marked Android-only.)

I searched for a mobile security app that our Mac friends can use but came up short. Besides some gimmicky fingerprint scanners or full-blown enterprise solutions, I couldn’t find any. If you are an iPhone, iPad or iTouch user, we’ve solicited some feedback from the top Mac minds in this post on Facebook.

What other measures are you taking to keep your client’s confidential information secure? Do you talk about your privacy measures during listing appointments or buyer consultations?

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