Groundbreaking Agent Safety Class and Study Announced

Austin-based Real Safe Agent is providing the student and instructor guide of their new Realtor Safety course to agents, brokers, associations, and Multiple Listing Services free of charge. The training material is uniquely effective because it's based on criminology and predator profiling. "This info is the first I've seen that is realistic," said Elizabeth Cooper-Golden, broker/owner of @Homes Realty Group in Huntsville, AL. "I appreciate it so much."

"Because this class could prevent an agent from being a victim, this is something you make free to all; not something for which you charge money," said Wes Wiggins, VP Industry Relations for Real Safe Agent. The materials are available for free on RE Technology and at the company's website.

The class was developed by Real Safe Agent's CEO, Lee Goldstein, and based on his own experience working with violent predators, as well as studies by noted researchers like Lawrence Cohen, Marcus Felson, Kim Rossmo and Ronald Clarke.

"Our goal was to provide agents with practical knowledge of how to make their marketing, themselves, the properties, and showings as unattractive as possible to a predator without sacrificing attractiveness to a legitimate buyer," said Lee Goldstein, CEO of Real Safe Agent. The intent of making the student guide and the instructor guide freely available is to allow MLSs, associations, and brokers to teach the class on their own without having to pay third parties. To help those who wish to use the class within their organization or association, the company will also be providing train-the-trainer classes at no charge. To make arrangements for a Train-the-Trainer class, the company asks that people contact them through the "Contact Us" page on their website.

Real Safe Agent has made another bold step to improve safety in the industry by retaining the WAV Group to conduct the most comprehensive research into agent safety ever done. The study will involve interviewing agents who have been victims of crimes, and convicted felons who have committed crimes against real estate agents; as well as quantitative data collected from thousands of general safety survey results. "If we can identify specific circumstances, behaviors, and patterns that predators use to target and lure real estate agents, then we can prevent the crime from occurring," said Lee Goldstein, CEO of Real Safe Agent.

Researchers are hopeful that when the study is complete, they will be able to provide the industry with criteria that indicate whether a prospect is dangerous, as well as sales oriented questions that will allow agents to determine if those criteria are present. "If we can provide agents with easy, sales oriented ways to determine if a prospect is high risk or low risk, then they will bring someone on high risk appointments," said Goldstein.

There has been a dramatic increase in violent crime against people selling or leasing real estate since 2006. Previous safety research primarily used surveys to collect quantitative data about the opinions and habits of real estate agents regarding safety. This study differs from others in that it will collect qualitative data from victims and perpetrators. Additionally, the purpose of the research represents a true paradigm shift in the real estate industry from Reaction to Prevention.

Marilyn Wilson, Founding Partner of WAV Group, said, "We now have the opportunity to uncover new information that could help save someone's life; I can't imagine any more meaningful or important work."

The study will have three phases. Phase 1 will be a survey sent out to the industry; phase 2 will involve interviewing agents who have been victimized during a showing or open house; and phase 3 will involve interviewing people convicted of committing a crime against a real estate agent. Associations or MLSs that would like research results specific to their area may contact WAV Group or Real Safe Agent.