Don’t put Agent Safety on the Back Burner

Real estate agents can be easy targets for criminals. Taking the “it could never happen to me” approach is an invitation to disaster and agents need to be proactive in learning about safety issues.  According to the NAR Member Safety Report, 14% of the REALTORS® surveyed indicated they had been in a situation that made them fear for their personal safety or the safety of their personal information.

A tragic end.  On September 26, 2014, at about 5:30 p.m., Beverly Carter of Scott, Arkansas, called her husband and let him know that she had one last appointment to show someone a home. She had been contacted by a couple who claimed they were married and were interested in viewing a home for sale.  What Beverly didn’t know was that the couple intended to kidnap her and demand a ransom but the plan fell apart and Beverly was murdered.  Her husband became worried about 9 p.m. when he hadn’t heard from his wife, so he went to the property to check on her. He discovered her car parked in the driveway with her purse inside.  He saw the door to the home standing open but Beverly had disappeared.

The crime.  Four days later, the police found the body of the missing real estate agent buried in a shallow grave in a rural area approximately 25 miles away.  By October 30, 2014, Arron Lewis and his wife, Crystal Lowery, had been arrested and charged with capital murder and kidnapping.  Lowery subsequently plead guilty and was sentenced to 30 years in prison.  After his trial concluded on January 15, 2016, Lewis was found guilty on all counts and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

The Foundation.  In 2017 the Beverly Carter Foundation, a nonprofit organization, was founded by her son, Carl Carter, Jr., who had also become a real estate agent.  The Foundation was formed to promote the safety of real estate professionals and those they serve by providing resources to research, information, consulting, training and support at every level of the real estate industry.

Resources.  The Foundation’s website makes available an Open House Safety Checklist as well as videos with insightful safety recommendations. It also has a newsletter containing great information regarding agent safety tips and you can sign-up at beverlycarterfoundation.org.  You can follow the organization on social media to reinforce these important safety lessons.  In addition, agents can download at no charge “Safe Selling” (a must-read) which was written by industry safety experts David Legaz and Lee Goldstein. The book is a practical guide to preventing crime without sacrificing sales.  Another great free resource about agent safety is the free videos you can find at https://www.realsafeagent.com/resources.

Unfortunately, agents have had a tendency not to prioritize safety.  Only 29% of those surveyed in the NAR Report indicated they attended a REALTOR® safety course.  Everyone should utilize the resources available to licensees.  Drizin Law will continue to remind agents of these important issues and include safety tips in our social media posts.