Have you ever really thought about the perils of being a real estate agent before the horrible death of Beverly Carter?
This was a senseless and seemingly random act of violence against a woman, who at the time was only doing her job. Too many times we get caught up in striving for a deal and we lose track of our surroundings and the dangers associated with our profession. Beverly Carter's attacker admitted that he targeted her "because she worked alone." Isn't working alone in the field a normal workday for most of us? According to the National Association of Realtors, 57 percent of Realtors are women, and a 2011 report on violent crimes against realtors found that women are disproportionately victimized. Meeting a stranger at a vacant house has always been a routine part of our business. We are all targets.
However, there are some precautions that we can take to ensure our safety while meeting customers or clients in the field. It's time our industry promotes mandatory safety training from within our associations, sponsored by the state issuing our license. Safety awareness education cannot be ignored and needs to be implemented immediately. If we can learn anything from this tragic event, it should be in memory of Beverly Carter.
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