In recognition of National REALTOR® Safety Month, the Coastal Association of REALTORS® (CAR) will continue to offer various safety resources and materials to its members and brokerages.
“The real estate profession requires a lot of public interaction, and with that comes significant safety risks,” said Page Browning, Executive Vice President of CAR. “We are committed to protecting our members and their clients by providing the necessary tools to ensure safe practices when meeting clients and showing homes, among other scenarios.”
The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) has designated September as REALTOR® Safety Month. NAR’s REALTOR® Safety Program was established more than a decade ago to empower and inform members of potential risks they face in their profession and how to navigate them safely. A wealth of safety information is available at www.realtor.org/safety.
However the REALTOR® safety issue was pushed into the national spotlight last year after Arkansas REALTOR® Beverly Carter was kidnapped and murdered while showing a home to a person whom she thought was a prospective client. More recently, the family of Arizona REALTOR® Sidney Cranston announced to the media they have given up hope in finding Cranston alive, after he disappeared in mid-June while showing a property.
“NAR works constantly to promote the core components of REALTOR® safety: knowledge, awareness, and empowerment,” said NAR President Chris Polychron. “Ensuring the personal safety of members is a top priority of mine, and the [national] association remains committed to providing ongoing education about potential threats and resources REALTORS® need to protect themselves.”
Last year, CAR offered to its members a free self-dense course taught by retired Maryland State Police trooper Darron Whitehead, who is now a REALTOR® and a member of CAR’s board of directors.
This year, CAR will offer “Safety Course for Real Estate Professionals” to their members. The course will be held on September 28, 2015 at the CAR Training Center in Berlin and will be taught by Walt Taraila of Buyer’s Choice Real Estate Services in Ocean City. The free, three-hour course will cover various topics, including personal safety, self-defense, and examples of potential problems, among others. The course will also encourage agents to share their experiences, ideas, and suggestions for safety.
“We chose to offer this course at no cost to our members because we want them to be equipped with this knowledge,” Browning said. “The course also counts toward our members’ continuing education requirements, so it’s a win-win for them.”
CAR also sells Ninja Spike Keychains in its office at the affordable price of $5. These compact self-defense tools have two spikes that stick out between the fingers while making a fist.
Additionally, CAR shares daily safety tips with its members via Facebook. These tips offer safety information on an assortment of topics, including open house safety, garage safety, cyber security, home security, and more. The tips are compiled by NAR and distributed in an easily shareable format.
Visit www.coastalrealtors.org for more information about CAR.
More about Coastal Association of REALTORS®
Coastal Association of REALTORS® is the leading local advocacy group in the real estate industry on the Lower Eastern Shore of Maryland. Coastal REALTORS® works in partnership with its members to promote home ownership and preserve, protect, and advocate private property rights. The organization supports 1,000 REALTORS® who serve Somerset, Wicomico, and Worcester counties.
For more information on Coastal REALTORS®, visit www.coastalrealtors.org. The term REALTOR® is a registered collective membership mark unique to real estate professionals who are members of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® and subscribe to its strict Code of Ethics.
