/24-7PressRelease/ - KANSAS CITY, MO, January 27, 2006 - Monday afternoon a man posing as a client robbed a Johnson County Kansas (Overland Park) real estate agent of her purse. A week and a half ago in Columbia, Missouri, a man posing as a client has been asking female real estate agents to accompany him to the bathroom with possible plans to remove his clothing. Tracey Hawkins, a Kansas City, Missouri real estate agent safety specialist is encouraging agents to follow the safety rules and not continue to take shortcuts when it comes to screening potential clients. There are over 10,300 agents in the Greater Kansas City area and over 600 in Columbia. Hawkins, who has trained hundreds of agents over the past 10 years in the Kansas City area, including Kansas and in St. Louis, is hoping that they will remember the safety tips they have learned. She wants insurance agents, home inspectors, loan officers, and even those selling their own homes, to pay attention as well.
"Do not meet a complete stranger at an empty house when you are alone. It is ultimately the same as picking up a hitchhiker, most of us wouldn't do that, but agents don't think twice about a stranger asking them to meet at an empty house. More often than not, they agents do it. It is not a secret." Hawkins, who has been a real estate agent and has a sister who is currently an active agent says she understands the desire to make that sell, but it should not be at any cost. "All clients need to be screened to ensure they are legitimate buyers and not criminals. She says apartment leasing agents are great about uniformly enforcing that rule across the board, but real estate agents hesitate. "You will not step foot inside of an apartment until you have visited the office and left a copy of your license behind along with your address and employment information. Would-be perpetrators know that their picture is on the desk ready to be handed to law enforcement officials if that leasing agent doesn't come back. Increased witness potential is a great deterrent. They also know that the leasing agent will be missed. Real Estate agents need to be just as vigilant, if not more so." The best way to do that is to have them come into your office and get some pertinent information from them. Agents should always let someone know where they are at all times and whom they are with and how long they will be gone.
The Johnson County agent received a phone call from a would-be buyer who she had never met and who wanted to see some houses. She met him at the first property and he said it was too small. At the next property he took her purse and fled. She was able to provide a description of the man to law enforcement officials; he was a white male with a stocky build wearing a baseball cap. She also noted that he was driving a white, convertible Mustang with out of State (possibly Louisiana) plates. She was not physically harmed.
Following the office rule is what protected a real estate agent in Columbia, according to the Missourian, a Columbia newspaper. A man has been visiting real estate offices and one insurance office and asking female agents to accompany him to the restroom to help him change his bandages. It now appears that he had intentions of disrobing once alone with the agent. Fortunately, the office manager saw the man in the office, had an uncomfortable feeling and was able to get the agent out of the situation with assistance from someone else in the office. A week later he showed up at another office and the police were called. He hadn't committed any crimes although his behavior was erratic. So all that could be done was for agents to be warned. The mans description was that he looked to be in his 40s, 5'8" or 5'9" is heavyset- between 200 and 225 pounds and drives a dark blue Ford Expedition. If the agent had met the man at a property instead of a house, the outcome may have been different.
Agents need to be aware of the proper way to show a house safely, the agent should never enter a room or space first. That prevents the would-be perpetrator from trapping them in a room and blocking their escape route. Hawkins advises agents to save expensive jewelry and high heel shoes for special occasions, the jewelry because it makes you a target and the shoes because they are hard to run in if an escape is necessary. Along the same line expensive electronics, including PDA's and laptops, as well as purses and brief cases should stay in the trunk of the car or at home. Agents should take their own cars and let clients follow, this way if they are uncomfortable in a house based on the clients behavior, they can call the clients cell phone from the safety of their car and make up an excuse to avoid being stuck riding with them. And escape safely. Cell phones should have 911 programmed. A more effective plan would be for the agent to discreetly grab the homeowner's cordless phone and have it handy in case they need to dial 911.
"When showing several properties you are likely to forget the address of where you are, especially in an emergency situation. If you can at least dial 9-1-1, you know help is on the way, even if you can't speak." Hawkins also advises agents to resist the need to have a photo on their business cards, billboards, yard signs and newspaper ads. You are making it easy for a perpetrator to target you. They get to go after whomever they are attracted to, whether it is someone who has blue eyes, brown hair, or whatever. Older agents are sometimes viewed as easier victims. A problem Hawkins says is the fact that would-be perpetrators can see an agents picture and know that a simple phone call will get that agent to meet them at a vacant house, often alone, to do whatever they wish.
If you must have a picture, save the glamour type photos for personal use, focus on professional business-like pictures. The question becomes whether or not your picture helps you sell more houses..." She strongly advises against putting personal information on literature and websites, "You are giving potential stalkers ammunition. I have seen websites with family pictures, a listing of where the kids go to school, where the agent goes to church and where they hang out. These are no nos. Save the personal information for face to face relationship building."
Hawkins says that not only do professionals who need to worry, but also those selling their own homes; FSBO's (for sell by owners). FSBO's don't have the luxury of an office with potential witnesses, so they have to be more vigilant to protect themselves, their families and their possessions." Hawkins advises that homeowners should never just open their doors and let people into the house without first verifying employment, taking to their lender and ensuring they are legitimate buyers and not criminals casing their home. They need to be sure not to tell prospective buyers when no one is home. Home phone numbers should not be listed in ads, jewelry and valuables need to be put away and hidden and they should never show the home alone.
"If salespeople or FSBO's are going to carry some sort of safety product, they need to know how to use it. They need to pick a product that they will have accessible, like pepper spray or a personal alarm. More importantly, they need to pick a quality product that will work. Education is key" Hawkins is also a safety product specialist and had pepper spray training from the Police Academy. She makes sure agents know what is available on the market.
Hawkins offers a free personal safety presentation for real estate agents and safety tips on her website for FSBOs.
http://www.safetyandsecuritysource.com 816-941-4542 Office/1-866-365-4542 Toll-Free outside of the Greater KC area.
Safety and Security Source has been in business for 11 years. The company is dedicated to providing safety and security products and personal safety presentations to help reduce crime.
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