Last year, a Realtor was murdered at a vacant home in Washington state. Several agents in Texas were robbed and beaten while sitting open houses. These events and others have prompted an ongoing campaign by the National Association of Realtors, as well as state and local associations to raise awareness about the potential threats Realtors may encounter on the job. NAR's goal, says the organization, is to "reach every member to remind Realtors of the importance of being aware, proactive and knowing the best reactions in dangerous situations.

The NAR and its subsidiaries are gearing up for the upcoming REALTOR Safety Week, September 14-20, 2003.

During Realtor Safety Week, September 14-20, 2003, associations will distribute informational materials, tip cards and giveaways, hold personal safety training sessions and many other similar activities in support of this important initiative, says the NAR.

To kick off the event, NAR has shipped a Realtor Safety Week kit to state and local association executives to help them plan for the week's activities. The kit includes powerful tools that can make Realtors aware of on-the-job dangers and the proper procedures that can save lives. Some of the products in the kit are designed to be copied and distributed to members, whiles others are used by association executives for policy development and communications.

The kit offers a seven-minute videotape called "Don't Be A Victim: Personal Safety For Realtors," a CD with downloadable PDF files of safety materials, safety presentation talking points including quizzes and handouts, and a special section on auto safety.

As if to punctuate the compelling and continuing need for agent safety awareness, a recent event illustrates that customers and clients can also be vulnerable to attacks while viewing homes.

In Colorado, a Realtor was showing a property to a couple when a man with a .45 caliber gun burst in on them. The Realtor and the customer's husband were bound and gagged while the gunman, a convicted sex offender, assaulted the wife in another room. According to the Realtor's broker, the gunman was apprehended quickly, and will be behind bars for a long time as a serial offender.

The gunman, as reported by a local Colorado newspaper, gained entry to the home because the real estate agent left the door unlocked, which is exactly the correct procedure for showings, according to the Safety Kit material. This is a strategy to prevent attack from the prospect, but it was unfortunately ineffective in preventing a determined gunman from entering the home. The attacker could also have easily accosted the people as they reopened the door to exit the home and forced them back inside. The broker said to his knowledge, this perpetrator had not followed the Realtor and her customers or watched the home where the assault took place. It appeared, he said, to have been a "random act of violence" based on opportunity.

It is this type of real life scenario that has been taken into consideration in the development of the Safety Kit, Realtor Safety Week and other NAR initiatives. The NAR plans on continuing ongoing dialogs with association executives to keep abreast of dangerous situations which can impact agent and client safety.

More information about Realtor safety, tips and products can be obtained at www.REALTOR.org/Safety.

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Published: August 12, 2003

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Blanche Evans is the award-winning senior editor of Realty Times, the Internet's leading independent real estate news service. She is featured daily on the Realty Times Video Network in the "Realty Viewpoint" segment. Blanche has been named one of the "25 Most Influential People In Real Estate" by REALTOR Magazine, and has been twice recognized as a "notable." In 2005, she was named "Top Reporter Covering the NAR" by Delahaye-Bacon's. Blanche is a renowned author of five real estate books. Her newest, Bubbles, Booms and Busts: Make Money In Any Real Estate Market, McGraw-Hill, was rave-reviewed by The New York Times. She was also selected from hundreds of real estate experts to contribute to Donald Trump's book, Trump: The Best Real Estate Advice I Ever Received: 100 Top Experts Share Their Strategies, Rutledge Hill Press, and is featured on page 68. Order Now Review - Honors In 2006, Blanche was selected among scores of candidates to author two consumer real estate guidebooks for the National Association of Realtors: The NAR Guide to Home Buying, and The NAR Guide to Home Selling, Wiley & Sons. She is currently planning two new books for the NAR and its members.       Known for her keen insight into real estate industry issues and for her ability to make complex subjects easy to understand, Blanche is a sought-after keynote and continuing education speaker. Real estate organizations from MLSs, to brokerages, to franchisors, to associations hire her to provide up-to-the-minute analysis of real estate industry news and advice on how to improve revenues. Her passionate delivery, peppered with stinging wit, is a huge hit with audiences and fans. Don Klein, CEO Greater Nashville Association of Realtors, Blanche Evans, Richard Courtney, president 2007, GRAR "The GNAR membership meeting last week featured Blanche Evans as the keynote speaker. Her comments and insights resonated extremely well with those in attendance and we have had many requests for copies of her PowerPoint Presentation. She was a terrific part of the membership meeting and convention program!" - Don Klein, CEO Greater Nashville Association of Realtors Coverage from WSMV, Nashville - 8-14-2007 That Interview Guy - Get Inside The Head Of Today's Generation 2007 AE Institute Session - To purchase 2006 AE Institute Session - Parts 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 HouseValues Mastermind call - Parts 1 2 Blanche's fireside chat with Jeremy Conaway, HAR - Click here. To contact Blanche, email her at . For more articles by Blanche, click here.