When Arkansas REALTOR^® Beverly Carter did not show for two appointments following her vacant house showing in rural Scott, Ark., her family, friends and co-workers must have known something was wrong.

Sadly, last month the national coverage of the death of Beverly Carter was a shocking event. Carter was contacted by a man to schedule an appointment to view a vacant house in a rural area. Five days later, she was found deceased. 

When police asked the man arrested for suspicion of kidnapping and preliminary charges of capital murder why he targeted Carter, he replied, “because she was just a woman that worked alone — a rich broker.” 

This is an unsettling admission. For this man to admit that he targeted a REALTOR^® specifically because she was a real estate agent is a shocking reminder of the vulnerability you face every day in your profession. 

At the time of the arrest, it was not clear how the suspect knew that Carter was a real estate agent or why he perceived her to be “rich.” What was clear, though, was the fact that he targeted her because of her profession. 

We all take risks each day in our lives. However, REALTORS^® take on a greater risk. Often REALTORS^® are alone in properties with consumers, meet consumers for the first time at a property, have no real relationship or tie to the consumer they are meeting, show properties at various times of the day, or sit alone inside properties with different members of the public coming in and out often with no one else in the property. 

Your safety comes first

Don’t second-guess your instinct; if you feel something is wrong or out of place, it probably is. Walk away, take someone with you, require a meeting at your office before showing a new consumer a property, let someone know where you are, have someone be nearby to the location you are showing, have someone stay in the car while you show the property, have someone call or text you. The opportunities are limitless. 

The National Association of REALTORS^® (NAR) reported that the U.S. Department of Labor documented 25 homicides committed against real estate professionals in 2013, an increase from 16 in 2012 and 19 in 2011. In the October 2014 issue of REALTOR^® Magazine, the article “Make Safety a Brokerage Priority” included seven tips to create security routines and procedures such as the “CITO” rule, establishing a buddy system and more. See the full article online at www.realtormag.realtor.org/for-brokers/network/article/2014/10/make-safety-brokerage-priority. In addition, NAR has a number of aids to help you learn how to stay safe in the field. Visit www.realtor.org/safety.

Brokerage safety policies

If you haven’t already, ask your broker about your company policy; if your company currently has no safety policy, encourage your broker to create one. Ask questions about your safety as well as those you work with so you all can be best protected. Does your company have a distress code? If not, discuss whether your broker is interested in creating one. A distress code is a word or phrase that a company has in place that an agent can use if feeling threatened or uncomfortable with a consumer. The company policy should be clear as to what the phrase or term is and what happens when an agent uses the distress code — whether the police are called, another agent is sent out to the property, the agent is to be called away on urgent business, among other methods. 

Another common company discussion is whether a policy should be implemented that requires all new clients and customers to meet at the office and possibly provide a copy of photo identification and license number. Your broker is equally concerned about keeping you safe. 

Safety tips for agents in the field

The following are some pointers to better protect you as an agent when showing properties or holding open houses.

Be cautious of others:

• Take a self-defense class. 
• Walk behind people while in the property and never enter into a room first. 
• Utilize a visitor check-in sheet that allows you to obtain an individual’s name and contact information. 
• If possible, avoid showings after dark.

• Identify all escape routes as you enter into the property.
• Never go into a space that you cannot get out of easily.
• Check all rooms, locks and windows prior to leaving the property.

Communicate:

• Notify your office, and potentially someone else, as to your location(s) throughout the day and check in regularly. 

Practice safety with your car:

• Lock your purse or wallet in the car.
• Park at the curb rather than the driveway.
• Always have your keys ready when walking to your car.
• Lock your car doors once you have entered.

Use technology to your advantage:

• Pay attention to both your phone and battery strength.
• Be observant — stop talking, texting or looking at your phone! 
• Try MyForce, an app designed specifically for safety. The app includes an emergency button that sends an alert, and a MyForce representative is informed of your situation instantly. The MyForce representative immediately begins listening and recording and alerts the authorities in your area to send help.
• Try Moby, created by MRIS. Moby is a free app is designed especially for the safety of real estate professionals that will contact emergency services and provide your location. For more information on Moby, visit www.mris.com/mris-products/affiliated-services/moby.

An ancillary discussion to your safety is the safety of the property. Just recently, I read a blog post that explained a situation in which the agent went upstairs after an open house to check windows, close blinds, do room checks and turn off lights. All of the sudden she heard commotion in the house. She went to go down the stairs to find a man blocking the stairs. He began asking her questions: “Why would you leave the door unlocked?” “Why did you leave your phone and purse on the counter?” “Do you have a weapon?” It turned out the man was a home inspector trying to prove a point to an agent who appeared to have gotten too comfortable, maybe even too trusting, that nothing bad would happen. The agent said it was a terrifying experience and a wonderful lesson. 

For more information about how to keep the property safe, read “Preparing Your Seller to Prepare the Home to be Prepared for Showings — Part 2” in the July 2012 issue of Wisconsin Real Estate Magazine at www.wra.org/WREM/Jul12/PrepareHome. 

I don’t know who said it, but it is great advice: “Safety is a full time job — don’t make it a part-time practice.”

Cori Lamont is Director of Corporate and Regulatory Affairs for the WRA.