I received this e-mail this evening and thought I should present this to all of my Realtor Safety 911 members. I am definitely one who needs to think about this too while I am out and about doing my marketing. You have to be aware of what is going on at all times…read on…

Warning..!!!! Warning..!!!! Warning..!!!!

Just last weekend on Friday night we had parked in a public

parking area. As we drove away, I noticed a sticker on the

rear window of the car. When I took it off after I got home,

it was a receipt for gas. Luckily, my friend told me not to

stop as it could be someone waiting for me to get out of the

car. Then we received this email yesterday:

‘WARNING FROM POLICE

THIS APPLIES TO BOTH WOMEN AND MEN

BEWARE OF PAPER ON THE BACK WINDOW OF YOUR VEHICLE–

NEW WAY TO DO CARJACKINGS (NOT A JOKE)’

Heads up everyone! Please, keep this circulating… You walk

across the parking lot, unlock your car and get inside. You

start the engine and shift into Reverse.

When you look into the rearview mirror to back out of your

parking space, you notice a piece of paper stuck to the middle

of the rear window. So, you shift into Park, unlock your

doors, and jump out of your car to remove that paper (or

whatever it is) that is obstructing your view. When you reach

the back of your car, that is when the carjackers appear out

of nowhere, jumps into your car and takes off. They practically

mow you down as they speed off in your car.

And guess what, ladies? I bet your purse is still in the car.

So now, the carjacker has your car, your home address, your

money, and your keys. Your home and your whole identity are

now compromised!

BEWARE OF THIS NEW SCHEME THAT IS NOW BEING USED and Please Tell Your Family and Friends to definitely be aware of this…never open your car door after you’ve gotten in and locked your doors…Remember, Your Personal Safety Is Up To YOU!!!

If you see a piece of paper stuck to your back window, just

drive away. Remove the paper later. And be thankful that you

read this e-mail. I hope you will forward this to friends and

family, especially to women. A purse contains all kinds of

personal information and identification documents, and you

certainly do NOT want this to fall into the wrong hands.

Please keep this going

and tell all your family and friends

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Courtesy of Cheryl Watterson Self Defense with an Attitude

The following Realtor 7-Point Personal Safety Plan of Action will help you be responsible for your own safety and survival. Become mentally and physically prepared to protect and defend yourself should you ever be put in a situation where your life is in danger. Due to the risky nature of the Real Estate profession, your personal safety should be high on the priority list.

7-Point Safety Plan of Action 1. Take a good quality self-defense class in your community. Check with the local police department to see if they offer the RAD Self-Defense Program. This is an excellent training program. Once you’ve completed the training, you can go back and attend as many classes as you want for free. Taking a self-defense class can give you a tremendous sense of empowerment and self-confidence. Knowing you have the fundamental skills and techniques that can help you protect and defend yourself is definately empowering. This is also a great opportunity to become physically fit. Read the rest of this entry »

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Your Personal Safety Is Up To YOU!

There is a price reduction on a Sprint phone which has been certified as compatible with the real-time tracking & emergency distress technology. The phone is the i670 by Motorola, which normally retails for $179.99, is now on sale for $29.99 with a 2 year contract. The price breakdown is $1.25 a month. This device can bring you TrekServ tracking and emergency distress for $16.25 a month, not including your communication package.

The phone has the following features:

• Nextel Direct Connect
• Group Connect
• GPS enabled
• Web, email capable
• Speakerphone
• Voice Activated Dialing

Here is a previous entry from RealtorSafety911.com - Read the rest of this entry »

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Courtesy of the Kentucky Real Estate Commission and the Kentucky Association of Realtors

Hello All:

Just this evening, I found some very good information on Realtor Safety tips and tricks to stay safe while in the field. We all know that safety should be our first concern and here are some very good safety tips Courtesy of Kentucky Real Estate Commission & Kentucky Association of Realtors They have a download of Basic Safety Practices. In this day and age, we cannot be too careful.

Remember, Your Personal Safety Is Up To YOU!

Best to you in your real estate endeavors.

FYI - We are about to make a name change on our site Realtor Safety 911. Everything else will be the same.

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Courtesy of  Cheryl Watterson with Self Defense with an Attitude

Realtors-How Prepared Are You For The Unexpected Predator Visiting Your Open House?

   She looks so happy go-lucky without a care in the world!  What do you think she would do if confronted by a prospect who turns out to be a violent perpetrator??     

Read the rest of this entry »

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Realtor Safety

Courtesy of the http://www.tucsonaz.gov

Yes, it can happen to you. You can be robbed, raped or killed while trying to make a sale - and the less cautious you are, the more vulnerable you become. If you are in this business here are some safety tips to follow:

• Never meet a strange buyer alone at any property. It is always best to meet the prospective buyer at your office. Consider it a danger signal if he or she refuses. Request to see I.D.
• Never go in the client’s vehicle. It is always best to take separate vehicles. If you use your vehicle, put your purse and briefcase in the trunk.
• Never let a client get between you and the doorway - leave yourself an escape route.
• If you have any suspicions or uneasiness about a buyer, take another sales agent with you.
• Always inform your office where you are going and with whom you’ll be. Make sure the person you are going with knows you’ve given this information to the office.
• Always make sure the office keeps information on your automobile, including make, model, color, and license plate number.
• Always be aware of the neighborhood in which you are showing.
• Always have someone else sit with you at an open house. If you must do it alone, stay near an exit while the prospect goes through the house. Have the owner put all valuables away. Check in with your office every hour. If you become suspicious, advise the client that your partner went to get coffee/lunch/is just next door and will be back any minute.
• Never put your photo in the paper, on business cards, or on your “for sale” signs.

Read the rest of this entry »

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KSDK – Chesterfield police need help finding a man who robbed a woman inside a residential model display home.

Police said the armed man threatened the person with a gun, then fought with the victim and stole her purse Thursday around noon. The suspect drove off from the scene in the 100 block of Amiot Court in a maroon two-door vehicle.

The suspect is described as a black man who is 30 to 40-years-old. He has a medium build, a goatee and a scar on his neck The suspect was wearing a long-sleeved gray shirt with writing on it and gray pants.

Chesterfield police want witnesses or anyone with additional information to call the detective bureau at 636-537-3000.

KSDK

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Here are some comments to the story:

Read the rest of this entry »

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Realtor Safety Week-

September 14-20 is National Assocation of Realtors Safety week - September has been declared by the National Association of REALTORS® as “Safety Month for REALTORS®.” To remind you of what needs to be considered for your personal safety the following is suggested:

“Keep Your Phone at Your Fingertips” (Always carry a charged mobile phone. Clip your phone on and make it part of your every day apparel.)
“Nix the Glamour Shots” (All your marketing materials should be polished and professional. Don’t use alluring or provocative photography in advertising on the internet or on your business cards. There are many documented cases of criminals actually circling photographs of their would-be victims in newspaper advertisements.)
“Be Prepared! Pre-Program!” (To best prepare for an emergency, pre-program important numbers in to your cell phone. These may include your office, your roadside assistance service or garage and most important…911. Have an ICE (In Case of Emergency number also, most police and emergency technicians look for ICE on a victim’s cell phone for a quick and direct contact. Have ICE as your spouse, office or closest contact’s number)

Check out this video - Safety Strategies for you and your client!

Best to you, be safe and remember, Your Personal Safety Is Up To YOU!!!

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Sid Cameron went well beyond his ‘call of duty’ to bring together some very good and thorough information that should definitely be an ‘eye opener’. These acts of violence against realtors have happened to others, doing the same type of real estate transactions as you. Please don’t ever think that it cannot or will not happen to you. Always be on guard and aware of what is going on - Your life could depend on it!

Courtesy of Darin “Sid” Cameron, posted on September 8, 2006 @ http://www.stlagent.com/blog/agentsonly/2006/09/crimes_against_real_estate_age.shtml#more

Crimes Against Real Estate Agents

If you’re not from St. Louis (or haven’t read the news lately) there were two real estate agents robbed at open houses in the St Louis area last week. One had their car stolen; the other was kidnapped at gun point where he was forced to take money out of an ATM. A suspect was apprehended yesterday. Now, it’s easy to shrug that off and say, “It was a one time occurrence,” or, “It was in a different town; I’m safe where I’m at.” However before you do, I would encourage you to read the rest of this article.

Read the rest of this entry »

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Have you ever been out and witnessed an unsafe situation and wondered how you would have reacted if that had been you? and you were glad that you didn’t have to make that kind of quick decision right then? Just so you know, you have more power than you know. Watch this video below, you will see what I mean. Read the rest of this entry »

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On Saturday, I had a meeting with a Personal Safety and Security Professional who explained to me a seminar he is putting on in the Atlanta area in August. It is a Safety and Security training seminar in the actual preparation and implementation process, for Realtors, to make you fully capable of creating a mental and physical Proactive Survival Action Plan.

A survey conducted by the National Association of Realtors Marketing Research Department revealed the following disturbing statistics:

*of more than 4300 Realtors who responded; more than 1/2 reported experiencing safety concerns and incidents while in the field

*1 in 4 Realtors personally experienced safety related or harassing situations while conducting their professional duties

*Nearly 40% recounted knowledge of other Realtors who have experienced safety related ‘uncomfortable circumstances’ while working

*The National Association of Realtors (NAR) has placed Realtor Safety among its top areas of concern. To the criminal minded, you are the perfect target for the easy ’set up’. Read the rest of this entry »

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Courtesy of Chery Wattersonwww.selfdefensewithanattitude.com

If you’re a real estate professional, your primary job is meeting with complete strangers – showing homes, holding open houses, and even being out late at night, walking to your car…all in the hopes that you secure a new client that you sell a home or property to. You’re faced with potentially risky situations almost every day. Because of the very nature of your job…..your safety should be a main priority for you.

There are crazy predators who seek out female realtors – not really caring who you are so long as you are a female. Then there are those crazies who seek out realtors who are high visibility agents. These are the million dollar agents who are on the cover of magazines, on the billboards, in the newspapers – their name is highly recognizable.

These predators see million dollar agents and assume you must be earning that full amount for yourself. There have been many realtors who have been followed to their homes by such predators and attacked in their own home. Some agents have been stalked and had their homes burglarized. Consider your safety and the safety of your home and family Priority Number 1.

First and foremost, be sure you follow all of the Safety Rules for your business:

1. Never have a first meeting with a customer at a property. Always meet customers in the office, where you can introduce them to the broker, manager or other colleagues. If you must, meet them at a public place to introduce yourself and conduct a buyer interview.

2. Leave an itinerary with the office. Let someone know what houses you will be viewing—and be sure the customer knows there is a schedule you’ll be following.

3. Carry a cell phone. Stay in contact with someone while you’re out in the field.

4. Don’t wear flashy jewelry or carry several credit cards. Carry only a small amount of cash or one credit card, and have a key ring with just your car key and lockbox key on it.

5. Use your own car. Be in control of the presentation and be the guide. If a customer wants to drive, have him or her follow you. And don’t park where you can be blocked in.

6. Always enter through the front door. If you have to use a side door, have the customers wait at the front door and let them in that way.

7. Inside the house, stay between the customer and an exit. Don’t ever walk into a room first. It’s safer and a better experience for the customer.

8. Have a secret code. Create a code word or phrase to let your colleagues know that you’re in need of help. Then, if you feel threatened, you could call your office and say, “Could you please call Mr. CODEWORD to cancel my appointment?” This let’s the office know that you need help without giving any indication to the listener.

9. Carry pepper spray, if it’s legal in your area. This may be used for defense from animals, snakes or any predators and may give you time to get to safety.

Cheryl has some great information and safety tips. Some we have gone over several times. The only way to know how you will react to a situation, is to go over the situation time and time again. You cannot let your guard down, you have got to know how you are going to react when a situation comes up!

The next thing to think about is a self defense course. Not a ‘martial arts’ class but a course that teaches you how to react to certain situations. How to get out of a bad situation alive. Because as we know - Your Personal Safety Is Up To YOU!!!

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With so much going on in our world today, we have to be on-guard all the time. Are you ready for any kind of situation that might come your way? You may never get into a situation where you have to think very fast and make split-second decisions, but if you had to, would you know what to do?

Watch this video and then think about what you might do to make these kind of decisions easier to make. Have you thought about a self defense class? There are many types of classes and there may be one right in your area!

Remember, Your Personal Safety Is Up To You!

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Cheryl Watterson has a blog called www.selfdefensewithanattitude.com, where she discusses self defense, personal safety and personal security. I get a lot of good information from her site and pass along to family and friends.

Today she and her business associate put on a Realtor Personal Safety Awareness class for one of the largest Century 21 offices in Northern Indiana and the turn out was Great! Read below.

On Wednesday my business associate from ADT Security and I gave a Realtor Personal & Home Security Safety Awareness Program to one of the largest Century 21 offices in Northern Indiana. Our program provided targeted personal safety and home security strategies that each agent can use on a daily basis. We believe that personal security starts in the home. Therefore, your home must be a safe haven whether you or family members are home or away.

Experts agree that the single most important step towards ensuring an individual’s total personal security is to make the decision to refuse to be a victim. That means you must have an overall personal safety plan or strategy in place before you need it and be able to aggressively defend yourself if attacked.

Our goal is to provide a program of personal safety and security, self-awareness, and empowerment that will enable real estate agents to protect themselves and not become a victim of an attack by a perpetrator, an unruly prospect, or customer.

We all need to make personal safety and security a proactive habit 24/7. We can then ensure we’re one step ahead of a predator who preys on defenseless women.

Remember, Stay Aware…Stay Alert…Stay Alive!

Below is information that can help you in your day to day business of staying safe in our unsafe world!

Realtor Tips For Staying Safe On The Job

• -Always be aware of your surroundings.
• -Develop a habit of being alert.
• -Trust your instincts – it could just save your life.
• -When you enter a home, look for other entry/exit doors.
• -Don’t host an open house by yourself.
• -Dress conservatively and don’t wear expensive jewelry or flashy clothing.
• -Only list office and cell phone numbers on business cards – noy your home number or home address.
• -Stay in touch with your office – always carry a cell phone or voice pager.
• -Be sure your cell phone is fully charged should you sit at an empty/new construction open house.
• -Meet prospects at your office.
• -Always take your own car when showing a property and have prospects follow in their car.
• -Don’t go into the basement or confined areas with prospect/s. Try to keep your back closest to the exit door.
• -Let potential buyers explore the home by themselves – keep some distance.
• -Let someone else know your whereabouts and with whom you have an appointment with.
• -Use sign-in sheets and have prospects show ID. If in doubt when meeting a prospect, state that it is your company’s policy to ask for identification.
• -Never show a property alone at night.
• -Never advertise a property as vacant.
• -Report any suspicious experience to police.
• -Offices should have a coded distress signal that is obvious to the office but not the prospect.
• -Consider taking a personal safety/self-defense awareness class.
• -Carry personal protection such as pepper spray, mace, a personal alarm or a C2 Taser.

Cheryl Watterson                           Linda Sokol

Personal Security Solutions      ADT Security

(574) 514-1214-Cell                      (574) 220-0349-Cell

 

 

 

 

Be sure to visit the following sites for additional tips on realtors staying safe:

www.adt.com

www.selfdefensewithanattitude.com

www.realtorsafety911.com

www.homesecurity911.com

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R.A.D.’s Instructional Objective: “To develop and enhance the options of self defense, so they may become viable considerations to the woman who is attacked.” A Self Defense course is a definite must for every women and man who is in real estate. Most of the time, your clients are wonderful people but as we all know, real estate has its scary individuals who prey on the lone realtor. Be aware - Your Personal Safety is up to YOU!

R.A.D. Self-Defense Class Starts Tonight For 4-Weeks

Courtesy of Cheryl Watterson, Self Defense with an Attitude

A R.A.D. Self-Defense Class starts tonight in Elkhart, Indiana. I will be attending this 4-week class, 3 hours per night and soaking up everything I can. After each class, I will blog about what I learn that night. RAD has such a great reputation for being a class designed around self-defense awareness techniques that are highly effective and simple enough for women of all ages to learn. In fact, these awareness techniques could just save your life!

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Self Defense Classes for REALTORS

Join us and learn ways to reduce your chances of being in the wrong place at the wrong time! You will also learn basic techniques of self defense and ways to escape unharmed if you do find yourself in a dangerous situation. Read the rest of this entry »

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Think Smart, Stay Safe
5 Ways to Protect Yourself From Being Attacked
By Shanna Thompson, LifeScript Staff Writer
Thursday, April 5, 2007

The mere mention of physical assault is enough to send shivers up any woman’s spine. Most of us shake off the fear, cross our fingers and hope for the best. But, unfortunately, that’s not enough to chase the bad guys away. When it comes to personal safety, you have two choices: empower yourself or run the risk of being an easy target…

To take control of your everyday safety, you need strength, courage and common sense, says Kathleen Baty, founder of SafetyChick Enterprises (www.safetychick.com) and author of A Girl’s Gotta Do What A Girl’s Gotta Do (Rodale Books, 2003). “It isn’t about living paranoid,” she says. “It’s about living smart.” Read the rest of this entry »

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All women (and men) need a place to go to get personal security and self defense information

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“…Suddenly someone screamed “Watch out, he’s got a knife!” I swiftly turned round and saw John attacking me with a knife using the “Oriental Stab” - an action which I had learned the defense and counter attack to, in my self defense class.

I used my natural reactions and reflexes using the technique automatically. John had no time to think when I hit him just under the nose with my palm. Immediately I continued, and kicked him straight in the groin 45 degrees upwards This was too much for him. He fell and started to throw up. Probably my first strike had been enough for him….

…I felt proud of being able to defend myself, and it was finally payback time!

This was actually the technique that saved my life when I was attacked. This one and many other realistic situations is described in my book…

So my story had a good ending. I knew what to do - I was prepared.

Sure the situation could have ended very differently!

Caroline

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