A couple of weeks ago I attended a 1 hour seminar offered by the Southern Crime Prevention Task Force.  Commander AJ Gywn of Atlanta, Georgia gave a fantastic presentation on safety for stagers, although the main focus of the seminar was Realtor safety. 

I STRONGLY recommend that all real estate offices contact the SCPRF and schedule a FREE seminar for their offices, especially with the holiday season just around the corner. (A minimum group of 25 or more people is required.)  As Commander Gywn told us, the holiday season, combined with the current economy, is a sure recipe for increased crime rates across the country.  From their website:

The task force has one of the best training seminars
in the United States on real estate agent safety!!

"The Southern Crime Prevention Task Force has seen the crimes against real estate agents increase over the last five years. Crimes are being committed against male agents also, as criminals now are not as gender-specific. Our Real Estate Agent Safety Training Seminar is a 60-minute seminar, and 25 different topics on agent safety are covered. Agents who attend the seminar will learn how and why criminals often target a real estate agent, and agents in attendance will also be provided with different ideas and strategies on how they can become safer while on the job. The instructor will also be available after the seminar to interact with agents who may have questions, and for those wishing to discuss any situations they may have been involved in the past. This training seminar is in huge demand by real estate companies, boards, and associations."

The seminars are offered free of charge, and are only 60 minutes long.  But the amount of information provided is invaluable!  We learned why real estate agents are targets, how to market yourself safely, how to communicate safely yet professionally with people you're meeting for the first time, how to protect yourself during open houses, how to identify suspicious activity, and how to defend yourself if you find yourself in a difficult situation.  And that's just the first 20 minutes!  At the end of the seminar, a handful of safety items can be purchased, all of which are thoroughly explained and demonstrated. 

You can contact the Southern Crime Prevention Task Force in Gainesville, Georgia for more information at 678-947-5914, or by email at scptf@aol.com.

As we were told, you have to be pro-active, and not re-active - so be pro-active and schedule your seminar soon!

All the best,

Monica