Realty Times, parent company of Mobile Callback, and the National Association of Realtors announce the newest REALTOR VIP Alliance. Mobile Callback, a new personal monitoring safety service that works through mobile phones, is the first safety product to be selected by the NAR as part of its ongoing initiatives to promote Realtor safety.

Jody Lane, founder of Realty Times and Mobile Callback, worked closely with the NAR in the development of Mobile Callback to insure that Realtors would be able to have a personal monitoring product that is easy to use, affordable, and most importantly, discourages attackers and robbers posing as buyers or sellers.

“Real estate professionals, as a part of their business, have to spend time with people they don’t know, and sometimes their personal safety is an issue," says Bob Goldberg, NAR senior vice president of marketing and business development and head of the REALTOR VIP Alliance Program. "By promoting the fact that you are being monitored, potential troubles can be averted.”

"Mobile Callback is a flexible and easy-to-use product built especially for Realtors to provide them with a higher level of safety and security,” said Goldberg.

With the Mobile Callback system, Realtors call in to the system, report their location and other information, and receive prearranged calls on their mobile phones to monitor their well-being. When a user signs up, they are asked to list up to three emergency contacts. Typically, Realtors choose to list spouses, colleagues or relatives as their primary contacts.

The system is particularly helpful at open houses, home and vacant property showings, and in other cases where safety is a concern. When an agent changes location, it just takes seconds to call the system to report the new information. If a call from the system is not answered by the user, or they enter an incorrect security code three times in a row, Mobile Callback alerts the user's emergency contacts that they are in danger.

"Unlike home security systems which only activate with an alarm," says Lane, "Mobile Callback is an active system that you ask to monitor your well-being and safety. You activate and deactivate it when you need to, but if you don't respond to an active monitoring call, we are going to assume that you need help and we will immediately alert your contacts."

Mobile Callback is only one part of a huge safety initiative which is being launched by the NAR. With a team of industry experts, NAR is developing a comprehensive safety kit that state and local Realtor associations will receive later this summer to launch REALTOR Safety Week in September, says Goldberg. NAR’s full safety initiative began in 2002 with the release of a REALTOR Safety Video, and continues with multimedia approach throughout 2003 and beyond.

Mobile Callback was introduced at the NAR Mid-year Meetings today. The product is available to NAR members as well as to NAR, state and local Realtor association staff and families at a 10 percent discount off activation and monthly fees. The activation fee is $50 and the monthly fee is $24.99. The service, available 24/7, is month-to-month and there is no long-term contract.

To order or to find out more information about Mobile Callback, visit http://mobilecallback.com or call 866/756-SAFE (7233). To learn more about NAR’s REALTOR Safety Initiative, call Information Central at 800/874-6500.