But in all honestly, with information readily available to anyone who wants it, I find the biggest weapon I possess is a paper shredder. That’s right, not a computer, Blackberry, or laptop, but a plain old paper shredder…and one that turns it into confetti.

Identity theft is a real concern. Everyday I receive at least one solicitation from a credit card company or other firm that wants me to sign up with their service. I have excellent credit and I want to keep it. As soon as we get the mail, we make a recycle pile and a shred pile. If it has even my name on it, it goes in the shredder.

But I also take it one step further. I treat my clients personal information the same as my own. Once a client’s transaction is closed, I transfer everything over to a CD. Then I do the most important thing and shred all their documents. I know many agents don’t realize that they could be affecting their clients security by throwing important real estate documents in the trash. I would hate to be the cause of a trusted friends identity being stolen.

So remember, if in doubt, shred it! And don’t forget to request your real estate agent to do the same. It only takes a few minutes to eliminate the possibility of a dumpster diver finding it, but is keeps a lifetime of yourself secret from prying eyes.