As I write this, the month of September is winding down, and soon September will be behind us. But before it’s gone, I want to take one last opportunity to focus on Realtor safety. This past week, we hosted a safety webinar from Carl Carter, Jr. His mom, Realtor® Beverly Carter, lost her life at the hands of two clients in 2014. Since his mother's passing, Carl has dedicated as much time as possible to spreading the message of Realtor safety.
Through Carl’s webinar, “Your Safety is Non-Negotiable,” he walked through his mother’s tragic death and how a few key moments can mean life or death for Realtors. Carl took us through various safeguards to help make sure that Realtors are safe as possible when working with new and prospective clients.
Carl’s webinar was a sobering reminder of the potentially dangerous situations we all encounter each day. It also reminded me of how we all need to stay vigilant with our presence, in person and online. As part of our business, Realtors need to promote themselves and maintain visibility, but sometimes this can lead to dangerous situations. In the 2020 Member Safety Report, 23% of REALTORS® were more likely to say they had experienced a situation that made them fear for their personal safety or the safety of their personal information.
Believe me, Realtors know first-hand how stressful the homebuying process can be. In a market such as ours, it’s easy to get swept up in the fast paced and sometimes frenzied race to find that perfect home. However, it’s important that in an effort to serve our clients, that we don’t cut corners when it comes to safety.
One important way the Realtor community can help homeowners have the best possible experience is to address safety and security best practices relating to real estate. That’s what our goal has been for this past month. The bottom line is this. Realtors love serving our community, and we want nothing else than to help our clients in a safe and professional manner.
REALTORS® play many important roles in their respective communities. As Realtors, we get to help people fulfill their dreams and make connections for home buyers and sellers, among other things. We also care very much about the experience clients have well after a home purchase or sale.
Safety is our priority year-round. Realtors are focused on protecting our clients and ourselves. That’s Who We R.