Most swaps go well, and the few that go wrong usually showed warning signs early. Trust is not a leap you take blindly. It is something you build over a handful of honest messages before any keys change hands.
Read the listing for care, not just for photos. People who describe how the garden works, which neighbour to ask for help, and what they love about the house tend to look after yours the same way. A listing that is all glossy pictures and no detail tells you less than you need.
Then have a real conversation. A short video call does more than twenty messages. You are not interrogating anyone, you are getting a feel for whether you would happily hand them your front door key, and whether they would hand you theirs. Ask about the practical things, agree the dates and the basics in writing, and notice how quickly and clearly they reply. Good communicators make good swappers.
Trust your instinct, too. If something feels off, there is always another swap. We have politely stepped back from exchanges that did not feel right, and never regretted it. The good ones feel easy from the first message, and those are the people you end up trading with for years.