Hacking and wire fraud are ever-present threats in real estate due to the amount of money involved in our industry. According to the National Association of REALTORS®, over 37 people per day became victims of wire fraud in 2020. Despite most agents not being security experts, it still falls to us to protect ourselves and our clients from these digital villains. To that end, a Virtual Private Network (VPN) is an effective tool in the fight to safeguard your data.
What is a VPN?
A VPN is essentially a secret tunnel on the Internet that keeps your online activities secure and private. These are software applications that run on your computer or other device. They create a secure connection between your device and the Internet and then encrypt all Internet traffic through that connection. This keeps your confidential data just that … confidential.
How does a VPN work?
When you connect to the Internet without a VPN, your online activities can be easily tracked and monitored by your Internet Service Provider (ISP), hackers, or even the government. However, when you use a VPN, it acts as a shield that protects your information.
When in use, your VPN encrypts your data using AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) or other high-level encryption algorithms. The encrypted information then travels from your machine through the secure connection to the VPN server. The VPN server then acts as a middleman, exchanging messages between you and the website you are visiting. The VPN server even assigns you a new IP address, making it appear as if you’re accessing the Internet from a different location.
Why should real estate agents use a VPN?
Privacy and Security: We often handle sensitive information, such as client details, contracts, and financial data. A VPN adds an extra layer of security by encrypting your online activities and ensuring that unauthorized individuals cannot access or intercept your data.
Public Wi-Fi protection: Since we’re always on the go, public Wi-Fi networks have become a staple of our business. Coffee shops, hotels, and open houses are our offices away from the office. Unfortunately, these networks can be risky because hackers use these locations – often rife with poor security – to intercept our data. By using a VPN, you can securely connect to these networks, preventing potential breaches and maintaining the confidentiality of your online communications.
Secure remote work: With home offices and remote work being the new norm, a VPN enables you to establish a secure connection to your brokerage network. Through this, you can access internal file shares and even the office printer, so you can print that listing presentation before you leave the house and just swoop in to grab it off the color printer.
BONUS – Bypass geographic restrictions: It’s not likely that you’ll need to access property listings that are geographically restricted. But you might want to watch Netflix Canada so you can binge-watch episodes of The Office, which are on Peacock in the United States. That’s right, a VPN allows you to change your virtual location, which gives you access to information (and streaming channels) that might otherwise be unavailable in your current region.
Tracy’s Bottom Line
A VPN is a powerful tool that offers real estate agents enhanced security and privacy – and the ability to access restricted content. By encrypting your data and providing a secure connection, it is an indispensable asset for real estate agents. With most VPNs charging less than $5 per month, a small investment in a reliable VPN will safeguard your business and give you peace of mind in the digital realm.
