海角大神

Ann Clark, who has been a real estate agent for four years, has had getting a state license to carry pepper spray on her 鈥榯o-do鈥� list for some time now.

In light of the kidnapping and killing of a real estate agent in Arkansas, she admits it should perhaps be a higher item on her list.

Early Tuesday morning, investigators found the body of Beverly Carter more than 20 miles away from Scott, Ark., where she had an appointment to show a house Thursday but hadn鈥檛 been seen since. A suspect, Aaron Lewis, is in custody.聽When asked by reporters why Carter was targeted, Lewis responded: "Because she was just a woman that worked alone -- a rich broker," The Associated Press reported.

The circumstances around her disappearance and death are prompting those in real estate to take a closer look at safety in the industry.

鈥淚 think agents need to be reminded not to get too comfortable, not to get relaxed,鈥� Mrs. Clark says.

Sara Wiskerchen, spokeswoman for the National Association of Realtors (NAR), says the organization works to promote safety awareness and to protect members.

鈥淲e are fully committed to our members鈥� personal safety by continuing to help educate Realtors about potential threats and providing them with resources to protect themselves,鈥� she said in an email, pointing to resources including articles and blog posts, presentations and videos, training courses and tools, and webinars .

In recent days, the NAR has been sharing information across its social and member communications channels, and thousands are sharing messages of support via Twitter using the hashtag #FindBeverly. "Our association and the Arkansas Association of Realtors are both in the process of actively reaching out to members with additional information," she said.

The NAR site includes this advice from聽Tim Powell, a detective with the Greenwich, Conn. police department:聽鈥淩ecord anything you can if you have a digital recorder or a cell phone. Get a license plate recorded somehow,鈥� says Powell. 鈥淓ven be on your phone in your car when the other party shows up. You can tell the other party the type of vehicle and the license plate. Get the message out in advance...."

Clark, who is an agent with RE/MAX in Hopkinton, Mass., says the agency constantly gives employees updates and offers safety training courses. 鈥淚 get continual grooming and reminders coming from the heads of the company,鈥� she says.

She says there are precautions that should be taken when meeting with clients 鈥� especially if alone 鈥� and when holding open houses. 聽Clark says she always tries to meet at the office first, and to introduce the client to as many people as possible.

But it doesn鈥檛 always happen that way -- people are tight on time, and prefer to meet at properties. In those circumstances, Clark says, she always makes sure the office knows when she鈥檚 going to meet a client.

鈥淓specially if you鈥檙e a woman in a strange house meeting a man you鈥檝e never met before, you want to make sure someone knows you鈥檙e there,鈥� she says.

And many agencies have a system for getting agents out of situations where they feel they are in danger. Clarks says she has an established code word with her office so that she can call in under the guise of running late or having a meeting and signal to someone there to either send police or call to check up on her.

鈥淵ou always keep your phone in hand, and keys nearby,鈥� she says. 鈥淲e have these things set up for when there鈥檚 something that feels a little creepy or doesn鈥檛 feel right.鈥�

Patti Carter, a Monitor employee who sells real estate for Coldwell Banker on the weekends, says the company sent out an email alerting agents to the Arkansas incident and reminding them to be careful.

鈥淭he bottom line is you鈥檝e got to stick with your gut,鈥� she says. 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 be scared, or you鈥檇 be scared all the time.鈥�

She says it might be a good practice to have the agents routinely call the office and have a secretary take note of where they鈥檙e headed. 鈥淚t couldn鈥檛 hurt, and it would take seconds to do,鈥� she says.聽

There are other tricks of the trade, too.

Clark says sometimes she will request another agent to come with her, but the practicality of that is difficult, so often her husband will come along to open houses. 鈥淚t makes a difference that he鈥檚 there,鈥� she says. 鈥淓specially in a big house in a remote area at end of long driveway and having the public walk in knowing there鈥檚 probably a lone agent there.鈥�

She says agents should never go into a room before a client, especially a garage or basement where they could be locked in. And agents should park their cars on the street facing out.

The key is being able to get out of uncomfortable or potentially dangerous situations. 鈥淵ou have to remember you鈥檙e in charge of situation and you can say no,鈥� Clark says. 鈥淚 live in an affluent suburb but you never really know and have to be alert.鈥�

She said some agencies are advising agents to check driver鈥檚 licenses at open houses. But in an industry that banks on making people feel at home, that can be complicated.

鈥淵ou鈥檙e walking a fine line between what makes people comfortable and what makes you comfortable,鈥� she says. 鈥淏ut increasingly there are people saying doesn't matter, safety is more important.鈥�