By Kevin Hogencamp, Contributing Writer
Patricia Sherman likely will never know what a man had in mind when he sped away from a real estate showing upon realizing that Sherman was accompanied by her husband.
It occurred a few years ago in a rural Middleburg area where “no one would have been able to hear me no matter how loud I screamed,” she said.
“What would have happened if I had been alone? I don’t know,” Sherman said.
The veteran real estate professional says that was among many instances during her career she thwarted a potentially dangerous situation simply by following basic safety precautions.
Now, the Coldwell Banker Vanguard Realty broker-Realtor provides safety instruction to peers through the Northeast Florida Association of Realtors.
Offered periodically, the safety course’s objectives are to motivate real estate professionals to be aware of their exposure to risks; follow safety best practices; learn to quickly assess a potentially dangerous situation and take appropriate action; and safeguard personal data.
Sherman’s presentations are a blend of fun, information and matter-of-fact advice.
“Listen to your gut feelings. If you are in a situation that doesn’t feel right — leave,” she said during a June safety class. “You can apologize later.”
Sherman said agents who don’t take precautions jeopardize their safety when they meet new clients, show properties, hold open houses and let strangers in their vehicles.
“Listen to me: This is a high-risk profession and you should never let your guard down,” Sherman, citing a 2014 Arkansas case in which a real estate agent was abducted and murdered.
The man who was convicted in the case said he and a friend targeted the Realtor because she was alone and they thought she was rich.
“She wasn’t rich, but the perception that she was rich was there because she was a multimillion-dollar producer,” Sherman said.
The widely reported murder resulted in more brokerages setting up protocols for agents to vet clients at their offices before walking into a vacant home with strangers.
But the Arkansas case wasn’t an isolated incident. In 2014, 20 workplace-related homicides occurred in the real estate industry, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Keller Williams First Coast Realty agent Amy Strickland said after Sherman’s June presentation that she had been putting herself at risk on the job without realizing it.
“Hearing what (Sherman) had to say scared me at first … but they say knowledge is power, and I believe that,” said Sherman, a newcomer to the profession in 2016.
Specifically, Strickland intends to get customers’ identification more often, only show homes to customers who are pre-approved for financing, and have an escape route identified when holding open houses.
Also, Strickland said when she’s in an uncomfortable situation, she intends to trust her instincts and “just say that I’ve gotta go.”
“I didn’t know that I had been putting myself in harm’s way,” she said. “I feel like she might have saved my life.”
Throughout her presentation, Sherman implored her peers to continually take a better-safe-than-sorry approach to the business.
“Think of safety as a business system,” she said. “If you have to have a sale and are willing to do anything to get that sale, you are in the wrong business.”
Tips for staying safe on the job
Real estate professional safety tips from the National Association of Realtors.
• Entering foreclosed or vacant homes. Inspect the exterior, don’t confront squatters, use the buddy system to show the house, let others know where you are and visit during the day.
• Meeting with a new client for the first time. Meet at the office first, ask for identification, have all clients fill out a customer identification form and introduce them to a coworker.
• Showing a property. Use the buddy system, don’t go into confined places, walk behind potential buyers, let others know where you are and have a fallback excuse to get away if you feel uncomfortable.
• Open houses. Promote security in advertisements, have someone with you, identify an escape route, introduce yourself to neighbors and stow away valuables.
• Personal marketing. Avoid provocative photos and clothing, wear shoes you can run in, don’t wear expensive jewelry and protect personal information.
• Transportation. Don’t let strangers ride in your car and watch where you park.
Additional safety information for real estate professionals is at Realtors.org/safety.