In October 2022 a Tucson Realtor was attacked and escaped abduction by a suspect that was caught two months later in Texas. (Tucson realtor attacked and escaped abduction by suspect who was caught 2 months later in Texas (fox10phoenix.com)) This is a headline that has become all too familiar with the Real Estate Agent community.  Agent safety needs to be a priority for both Agents and their Brokers.

As a Patrol Officer, I have responded to several calls involving Real Estate Agents.  I quickly realized that  by the basic nature of being an agent they are exposed to a number of dangerous situations.  For example, agents rarely “know” their client (especially in the initial meeting) and they seem to usually work alone.  Combine those two factors with always being in a vacant house/property, and you have a recipe for disaster.

According to the National Association of Realtors: 23% of REALTORS® experienced a situation that made them fear for their personal safety or safety of their personal information, 31% of REALTORS felt unsafe during an open house and 5% of REALTORS® said they had been a victim of a crime while working as a real estate professional.

As agents know, it is impossible to be an effective agent and not be exposed to some of these threats.  But agents can develop and maintained a increased sense of Mental and Situational Awareness.  Agents should develop skills and habits that give them the tactical advantage in these situations.  The Law Enforcement team at Professional Defense Advisors developed a short one-hour program that identifies and discusses real world problems and solutions.  You can schedule an in person class and get certified with one of our Law Enforcement Advisors (Real Estate Agent Safety – Professional Defense Advisors (prodefenseadvisors.com)) or take the Online Training (Real Estate Agent Safety 101 – Professional Defense Advisors (prodefenseadvisors.com)

Be Safe,

Scott

Lead Law Enforcement Professional Defense Advisor