Last year, a Realtor was murdered at a vacant home in Washington state. Several agents in Texas were robbed and beaten while sitting open houses. These events and others have prompted an ongoing campaign by the National Association of Realtors, as well as state and local associations to raise awareness about the potential threats Realtors may encounter on the job. NAR's goal, says the organization, is to "reach every member to remind Realtors of the importance of being aware, proactive and knowing the best reactions in dangerous situations.

The NAR and its subsidiaries are gearing up for the upcoming REALTOR Safety Week, September 14-20, 2003.

During Realtor Safety Week, September 14-20, 2003, associations will distribute informational materials, tip cards and giveaways, hold personal safety training sessions and many other similar activities in support of this important initiative, says the NAR.

To kick off the event, NAR has shipped a Realtor Safety Week kit to state and local association executives to help them plan for the week's activities. The kit includes powerful tools that can make Realtors aware of on-the-job dangers and the proper procedures that can save lives. Some of the products in the kit are designed to be copied and distributed to members, whiles others are used by association executives for policy development and communications.

The kit offers a seven-minute videotape called "Don't Be A Victim: Personal Safety For Realtors," a CD with downloadable PDF files of safety materials, safety presentation talking points including quizzes and handouts, and a special section on auto safety.

As if to punctuate the compelling and continuing need for agent safety awareness, a recent event illustrates that customers and clients can also be vulnerable to attacks while viewing homes.

In Colorado, a Realtor was showing a property to a couple when a man with a .45 caliber gun burst in on them. The Realtor and the customer's husband were bound and gagged while the gunman, a convicted sex offender, assaulted the wife in another room. According to the Realtor's broker, the gunman was apprehended quickly, and will be behind bars for a long time as a serial offender.

The gunman, as reported by a local Colorado newspaper, gained entry to the home because the real estate agent left the door unlocked, which is exactly the correct procedure for showings, according to the Safety Kit material. This is a strategy to prevent attack from the prospect, but it was unfortunately ineffective in preventing a determined gunman from entering the home. The attacker could also have easily accosted the people as they reopened the door to exit the home and forced them back inside. The broker said to his knowledge, this perpetrator had not followed the Realtor and her customers or watched the home where the assault took place. It appeared, he said, to have been a "random act of violence" based on opportunity.

It is this type of real life scenario that has been taken into consideration in the development of the Safety Kit, Realtor Safety Week and other NAR initiatives. The NAR plans on continuing ongoing dialogs with association executives to keep abreast of dangerous situations which can impact agent and client safety.

More information about Realtor safety, tips and products can be obtained at www.REALTOR.org/Safety.

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Published: August 12, 2003

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