Sometimes you have to take a big swing to hit one out of the park. Entrepreneur Jody Lane has learned sometimes you also strike out.

It was a tough decision, but Lane has decided to close the doors on his newest company, Mobile Callback, Inc. (Editor's note: Lane is the founder of Realty Times.)

"I thought real estate agent safety would be a priority for everyone," says Lane.

Mobile Callback was one of those ideas that seemed like a sure thing - a service for Realtors that monitors their personal safety. Agents use their cellphones to report their appointments and locations and list contacts for the system to notify in case they can't be reached. The system calls them at predetermined intervals. If the agent doesn't respond after three attempts, the system calls the agent's contacts until someone responds, just like a home security system. If the contact is alarmed, he or she can summon authorities. If the agent is found incapacitated or missing, authorities will have leads to go on such as who the agent's last client prospect was, the license and description of the client's car, where they were supposed to meet, etc.

"When the National Association of Realtors first heard about the idea," recalls Lane, "they were wild about it."

Mobile Callback was prominently featured as part of the NAR's ongoing safety campaign. Lane signed Mobile Callback to be a REALTOR VIP partner to the NAR, offering special discounts to NAR members. The product launched officially with Agent Safety Week in September, 2003, an initiative put together by NAR senior management, participating associations, and industry-related personnel.

Despite recent news reports of agents murdered in the Northwest, and agents bound and gagged in the Southeast, Lane says Mobile Callback only received a few signups, not enough to support the infrastructure needed to protect the agents adequately.

While he was happy with the efforts of the NAR to promote Mobile Callback, Lane says he was surprised that other associations and organizations weren't more supportive.

"The franchises and local associations we talked to were only interested in what's in it for them," says Lane. "My companies' products are known for being fairly priced. Since we were already offering significant discounts and revenue-sharing through the NAR, we couldn't afford to cut the pie any smaller. I thought agent safety was more important than that."

So he tried dancing faster with the partner that brought him to the party. He offered the product free of charge through the end of the year to NAR members, and only got a handful more subscribers.

"When you don't get signups when they are free," laughs Lane, "you know it isn't a price issue."

But he really knew it was time to throw in the towel when he received a call from an admiring real estate agent who had heard about the product through one of several trainers promoting the product throughout the country.

"She told me that she was being stalked by a guy in prison who is about to be let out again," says Lane. "She wanted to know all about Mobile Callback. Then she asked how much it was. I told her $10 a month starting in January.

"She said, 'I don't have extra money for things like that.'"

Published: February 20, 2004

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Blanche Evans is the award-winning senior editor of Realty Times, the Internet's leading independent real estate news service. She is featured daily on the Realty Times Video Network in the "Realty Viewpoint" segment. Blanche has been named one of the "25 Most Influential People In Real Estate" by REALTOR Magazine, and has been twice recognized as a "notable." In 2005, she was named "Top Reporter Covering the NAR" by Delahaye-Bacon's. Blanche is a renowned author of five real estate books. Her newest, Bubbles, Booms and Busts: Make Money In Any Real Estate Market, McGraw-Hill, was rave-reviewed by The New York Times. She was also selected from hundreds of real estate experts to contribute to Donald Trump's book, Trump: The Best Real Estate Advice I Ever Received: 100 Top Experts Share Their Strategies, Rutledge Hill Press, and is featured on page 68. Order Now Review - Honors In 2006, Blanche was selected among scores of candidates to author two consumer real estate guidebooks for the National Association of Realtors: The NAR Guide to Home Buying, and The NAR Guide to Home Selling, Wiley & Sons. She is currently planning two new books for the NAR and its members.       Known for her keen insight into real estate industry issues and for her ability to make complex subjects easy to understand, Blanche is a sought-after keynote and continuing education speaker. Real estate organizations from MLSs, to brokerages, to franchisors, to associations hire her to provide up-to-the-minute analysis of real estate industry news and advice on how to improve revenues. Her passionate delivery, peppered with stinging wit, is a huge hit with audiences and fans. Don Klein, CEO Greater Nashville Association of Realtors, Blanche Evans, Richard Courtney, president 2007, GRAR "The GNAR membership meeting last week featured Blanche Evans as the keynote speaker. Her comments and insights resonated extremely well with those in attendance and we have had many requests for copies of her PowerPoint Presentation. She was a terrific part of the membership meeting and convention program!" - Don Klein, CEO Greater Nashville Association of Realtors Coverage from WSMV, Nashville - 8-14-2007 That Interview Guy - Get Inside The Head Of Today's Generation 2007 AE Institute Session - To purchase 2006 AE Institute Session - Parts 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 HouseValues Mastermind call - Parts 1 2 Blanche's fireside chat with Jeremy Conaway, HAR - Click here. To contact Blanche, email her at . For more articles by Blanche, click here.