Stranger danger: Realtors discuss safety precautions

An alert farmer may have saved Liz Lockhart's life.

Lockhart, broker-owner of Riverbend Realty, was running an open-house event at a home she was trying to sell in a rural area when an unwelcome visitor arrived.

"A man came and stayed way too long, obviously wasn't interested in the house and was asking all kinds of strange questions," Lockhart said.

The house was not air-conditioned, and the man kept trying to get Lockhart to drink a beverage he had brought, she said.

A farmer across the road knew Lockhart was there alone and drove over on his tractor to check on her after noticing the man seemed to be staying longer than necessary, she said.

"That was really creepy," she said. "I don't know whether he was packing heat or not, but when the farmer came over ... he left."

Real estate agents' livelihoods depend on spending time in empty buildings with strangers.

While most of those strangers are ordinary people shopping for their share of the American dream, a few have intentions that are -- to borrow Lockhart's word -- creepy.

Arkansas Realtor Beverly Carter, 49, went out to show a house Sept. 28.

Several days later, her body was found shot to death in a shallow grave about 20 minutes from Little Rock.

Media reports from across the country suggest Carter's slaying has alarmed many members of her profession, with Realtors signing up for concealed-carry classes in Michigan and self-defense classes in Oklahoma and Arizona.

Self-defense

Realtor Kenny Merriman of Coldwell Banker Abernathy Realty in Jackson got into the real-estate business after a 22-year career in law enforcement.

Merriman said he keeps a gun in his vehicle, and if he feels uncomfortable as he approaches a property, he brings the weapon in with him.

Rural areas are particularly risky, Merriman said, with a variety of potential threats: distrustful neighbors who may overreact to a stranger's presence; people conducting illegal activities in vacant houses; and even -- in isolated areas -- wild animals, such as cougars.

"Be observant and vigilant in making your approaches to these remote areas, because you never know what you're going to run up on," he said.

Merriman said a firearm can protect a Realtor who is willing to use it, but those who are uncomfortable shooting an attacker are better off using another method of self-defense.

"The concealed carry is a great idea, but the person carrying the weapon has to have the mindset of, 'When it comes out, I'm pulling the trigger,' and not everybody can do that," he said.

Lockhart said she is willing to pay for all the agents at Riverbend to take concealed-carry classes if they wish.

Like Merriman, Lockhart said the decision to carry should not be taken lightly.

"There are good reasons not to as well as good reasons to carry, just as there are good reasons to have pepper spray and good reasons not to have pepper spray," she said. "... If you're not willing to use it, and you're not savvy and careful, you're better off not having, probably."

Cpl. Darin Hickey of the Cape Girardeau Police Department offered similar advice.

"Concealed carry as well as self-defense is a personal preference," he said. "You have to be willing to use that. You have to stay practiced with that. ... If you have a gun, and you're not willing to use it, you'd better be prepared that somebody might take it from you and use it against you."

Merriman recommends self-defense training with an emphasis on escaping from an attacker.

"I think a self-defense class can be very, very vital," he said. "What we taught was, 'Don't try to subdue your attacker. Get away from your attacker.'"

Any defensive tool -- be it a firearm or a fist -- requires adequate training and practice to be effective in a crisis, Hickey said.

"Unless you are in practice, in a high-stress situation, you may not be prepared," he said. "Those things do take a lot of training and a lot of preparedness to use."

Staying safe

Even without a gun or special training, Realtors can take steps to stay safe, said Kathy Devor of Coldwell Banker Abernathy.

"One of the most important things we as Realtors can do to protect ourselves is meet the prospective ... buyer in our office first," Devor said.

Based on the person's behavior during that initial meeting, an agent might take additional precautions, she said.

"There have been times when I've had someone go with me," Devor said.

A Realtor's instincts can be an effective defense, Merriman said.

"You just have a sixth sense for, 'Hey, this doesn't feel right,'" he said. "...I've told a lot of the ladies, 'If you're uncomfortable showing the property, use whatever excuse. ... I'll go.'"

Devor also suggests getting basic information, including the customer's driver's license number, before going out to show houses.

"That would certainly help us stay more safe," she said. "Unfortunately, being in a small community, we don't do that a lot. We should."

Lockhart said she asks new customers for basic information and quizzes them about their financing.

"If they get reticent when I ask about financing, I'm going to be pretty reluctant to show them a house," she said.

Lockhart also may photograph a customer's license plate or ask to make a copy of his or her driver's license.

"It seems to me like that is a minimum to ask for something if they're asking to meet you at a strange place," Lockhart said.

One customer became angry when Lockhart photographed his license plate, she said.

"I did have one man one time take that very negatively and lash out at me and say, 'What do you think I am? A murderer?' and I looked at him and said, 'Well, you could be,'" she said.

Customers should not be offended when Realtors take reasonable precautions to ensure their safety, Hickey said.

"They do what makes them feel comfortable. They do what makes them safe, and if somebody's going to get upset about it -- safety has to come first for everybody," he said. "... Put yourself in the agent's shoes."

Ideally, Lockhart prefers for prospective clients to obtain a prequalification letter from a bank or other lender before looking at houses.

That screens out "lookie-loos" who aren't serious about buying a home and ensures customers have been vetted to a certain extent, she said.

"These are private residences," Lockhart said. "John Q. Public quite frankly doesn't have the right to access a private residence unless they are legitimately looking to purchase."

Merriman said some Realtors may put themselves in danger while trying to be polite to clients.

"People get caught up in being an agent, doing the right thing, taking care of their client, just not realizing there are people out there who are not good people," he said.

epriddy@semissourian.com

388-3642

Pertinent address:

Cape Girardeau, MO

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Staying safe

Realtors and law-enforcement experts offer the following tips to reduce personal risk while working with the public:

• Meet prospective clients in a public place, such as an office or restaurant.
• Before showing a house, ask a customer for basic information, including a copy of his or her driver*'s license, or photograph his or her license plate and upload the image to Google or iCloud.
• Consider asking potential buyers to get a prequalified letter from a lender before taking them out to look at houses.
• Trust your instincts. If something seems wrong, do not go out alone to show a property.
• Learn as much as possible about the area and the property you are showing.
• Make sure someone knows where you are going, with whom and when you plan to return.
• Do not get into a car with a customer you do not know.
• Carry a cellphone, and do not hesitate to call police if you feel uncomfortable in a situation.
• Park on the street, not in the driveway, to avoid being blocked in while showing a property.
• Do not precede customers down stairs or accompany them into basements.
• Try to avoid showing houses after dark.
• Use extra caution in rural areas, where help may not be readily available.
• Upon holding an open house or listing a property, introduce yourself to the neighbors.
• Do not work open-house events alone.
• At an open house, ask visitors to sign in.
• Consider taking a self-defense class. Find one that focuses on escaping from an attacker rather than subduing him or her.
• Consider carrying a firearm *-- but only if you are comfortable with the idea of shooting an attacker.
• If using self-defense tactics or weapons, practice as much as possible so you are comfortable using your skills in an emergency.

Sources: Ken Merriman and Kathy Devor of Coldwell Banker Abernathy Realty, Liz Lockhart of Riverbend Realty and Cpl. Darin Hickey of the Cape Girardeau Police Department