"Violence against REALTORS® is on the rise." says Andrew Wooten, National Safety Instructor and President of S.A.F.E. "The past 12 months have been the most violent I have seen in twenty-six years working in the real estate industry. We've seen an increase in attacks, murders and suicides."

The National Association of Realtors brought REALTOR® Safety Awareness to its members in September.    "The risks are real." writes Jeff McKissack for NAR Magazine, " Most real estate agents have little if any security training and ­regularly are meeting with strangers at various times of day in vacant homes. This year alone Iowa has reported two separate attacks on real estate professionals on the job, one of them fatal. In San Diego, several practitioners have reported being assaulted by squatters while they ­inspected foreclosed properties."

In a Realtor Safety Report prepared in cooperation by AGBeat, S.A.F.E. and Moby, Realtors across America were asked why they think they are a target for violent crimes?  "Although most realtors are just scraping by," reports Lani Rosales of AGBeat,  "faces on billboards look successful, so many Realtors believe they are vulnerable because agents are depicted as rich by media, movies, and the perpetual  'it's always a good time to buy/sell' smile on many Realtor faces."

The report uncovered these minor commonalities in violence against realtors:

1. The majority of the attacks on Realtors in 2011 occurred in the afternoons on Thursday or Friday
2. Nearly 30% of attack victims are men
3. Most attacks did not occur inside major metro areas
4. Guns are used roughly 50% of the time in attacks
5. Robbery was the intention going into the attack but frequently resulted in murder

Wooten offers these safety tips and practical advice.

Listen to yourself. Trust yourself. Pay attention to what your body is saying. Wooten says that "preparation is the best way to fine tune your gift of instinct."

Transform your smartphone into a personal safety device.  Moby is a smartphone app for iPhone, Blackberry and Android that you can download to let you share (or not share) your location instantly with family and friends including a "check-in" feature to contact a few people with a quick message.  It also features an "alert" function to request help with a tap to instantly alert someone of where you are.  "Very useful for everything from a flat tire to a real emergency situation." says the website.

Moby offers a free Safety Toolkit which includes Safety Reports for the real estate industry, safety resources and safety seminar information.  

"Always let someone know where you are and where you are going. And remember what our mothers said, There is safety in numbers." 

Not sure about a new client?  The Moby app offers a check-in system that contacts you on a recurring schedule to ask, "Are you OK?"  If you don't respond, Moby will notify your contacts with your exact GPS location.

Wooten says, "When it comes to safety there are no guarantees.  However, following proper safety guidelines will decrease your chances of becoming a victim."

"Let's work together on decreasing these numbers." says Wooten.

The South Metro Denver Realtors Association is hosting two safety seminars featuring Andrew Wooten on October 19^th, 2011 beginning at 9am. Don't miss the opportunity to hear this nationally recognized safety expert!  Learn more about SAFE and Andrew Wooten.

Download the complete, free Realtor Safety Report at AGBeat.

photo credit: MoHotta18

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