In the Real Estate World it is Time to Reflect and Think about Personal Safety.
Today is the last day of Realtor Safety Month. It ends on a sad note and one that I hope will cast reflection on the industry. While showing a foreclosed home Arkansas Real Estate Beverly Carter disappeared and her suspected kidnapper has been arrested by the Little Rock Police Department. He is being charged with murder.
The real estate community mourns for Beverly and her family.
Beverly’s death should be a reminder to all as to how the real estate business is not all peaches and cream. Real Estate Agents are targets of predators and we must put our safety first.
This is a difficult business where we work with wonderful people a majority of the time. But there are those times when we don’t feel safe. There are times when we are abused by people and made to feel that we must jump through hoops to gain favor. All too often real estate agents throw caution to the wind because we are trying to satisfy others.
In the past 20 years 200 real estate agents have been killed while try to sell a home.
Who knows how many have been assaulted.
Real Estate Agents are trusting people. When the phone rings or we receive an email we believe that we are in contact with a potential purchaser –not a potential predator.
As an educator I tell people real estate is like dating and we should keep in mind that if you would not do something on a first date win our personal life then don’t do it on a first date in our professional life.
We do our best to make things convenient for other people. Most real estate agents are people pleasers.
Therefore many agents without regard to their own safety meet people they have never seen before at locations they have never visited before. In reality it is not safe.
These are difficult conversations to have because they are scary and agents are afraid to look paranoid. They also know that if they make things too inconvenient a buyer or seller will go elsewhere.