Attacks against Real Estate Agents rising, 10 steps to keep you safe

The number of attacks on real estate agents has been rising over the last several years, becoming more violent and deadly as well.   In May of 2011, in West Des Moines, Iowa, 27 year old Ashley Okland was fatally shot in the head and chest while working at a model home.  The crime remains unsolved.

In 2003 major franchiser Re/Max, for whom I work for, established its own safety program, Safety Awareness for Every Realtor (SAFER), after the murder of a young sales associate in British Columbia. The program includes live sessions, online video streams, satellite broadcasts and DVD's, the company said.

Anybody who works with and faces the general public is prone to a higher degree of victimization than somebody who doesn't.  The scary part, almost 99% of all victims interviewed by the police said the same thing: "I knew something wasn't right."  I used to be a Police officer for a short time in Las Vegas, we had a saying using the acronym "JDLR"  Just Doesn't Look Right.  Listen to yourself......trust your gut.

Consider the following statistics, in 2010 fatal injuries among real estate professionals reached their highest levels since 2003.  That's a 19% rise over the previous year.  2010 was the last year numbers were compiled.  Also in 2010, 940 real estate agents were victims of non-fatal assaults.  That number has been rising almost vertically since 2008 up from 620 in 2009 and 170 in 2008.

So here are 10 quick things you can do to reduce the chances of you being a victim.

1. Advanced Planning:  View the property and neighborhood before showing the property. Google earth and crime statistics is available to us and is just at our fingertips.  Drive around the neighborhood for 3-4 minutes before doing the open house
2. Park where you cannot get blocked in:  Agents are most afraid when they're walking back to their car, before you exit your car, look around.  Can you see the front door?  Can you run somewhere or to someone who could help you if you're attacked?  Are there trees of shrubs within 10-15ft of your car where an assailant could hide?  When getting out of your car always look around.  When you get to the front door, turn arond and walk back, did some follow you and are there places someone could surprise you?
3. Meet the neighbors:  Introduce yourself, point out your car and where you will be in the house, there's safety in numbers and information is power.
4. Work in teams:  By nature we're pack animals, and as mentioned above, there's safety in numbers. The number one place agents get attacked is by the front door.  Partly because it takes time to open lock boxes and set everything up. Set up a system, either have someone with you or text them as you're entering a property or have them on the phone with you.
5. Establish your escape routes:  Ingress and Egress.  Walk around the house and notice how to get in and out of rooms.  I use the acronym PACE, Primary Alternate Contingency Emergency.  If there's a gate in the back yard unlock it and open it ever so slightly to where it still seems closed.  During an attack your motor skill functions diminish considerably, fiddling with a lock and trying to open a door probably won't work.  We've all seen it in the horror movies right, you know when the female is being chased by the bad guy and can't get the door open.  That's what happens in real life
6. Set up for safety:  Carry only what you need, purses remain in the trunk of your car, and pick the room with the most light and that offers the greatest view from the inside out, that also has the best cell phone service and provides the most escape routes.
7. Check out your guests when they arrive:  As soon as someone arrives jump to your feet and introduce yourself.  This is the time to check them out from head to toe.  Ask yourself, is this someone I'm comfortable with and would I want to be alone with this person?
8. Never ever turn your back to person:  Let clients walk in front of you. Both men and women can be violent toward agents, so keep that in mind.  If a man says "please you first" to a female when entering a room, politely say "Thank you're such a gentleman but I want you to see the house first, I've already seen it as has my colleague who's on his/her way."  Do you see what you just did?
9. Never go into certain rooms:  Never go into rooms with no escape routes, closets are the biggest ones, wine cellars, attics and crawl spaces too.  Instead direct people to these rooms.
10. Close up in teams:  If you can do it with someone that's the best way, if not do it with someone on the phone with you or let someone in your office now you're beginning to close up and you'll text them or call them in 5-10 minutes.  

Remember crimes happen to men as much as they happen to women.  Get into a routine of doing these steps that over time will become second nature and take a very small amount of time.  Perception is reality and we want the perception to be (by the criminals) that I see you and I'm not going to be an easy target.