In Wake of Sarah Walkers Murder, New Proceedures for Open Houses Considered : The Real Estate Bloggers

In Wake of Sarah Walkers Murder, New Proceedures for Open Houses Considered

July 13th, 2006 • Related • Filed Under

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Sarah_anne_walkerThe murder of Sarah Anne Walker this past week is causing many real estate agents and brokers to reconsider how they show homes to prospective buyers. The use of open houses makes the agents as one refers to them, “sitting ducks”. For an agent to be alone in an open house has to be a frightening experience if you start to think about it.

I was talking to my partner about this and he had a great idea. Remember the I have fallen and can not get up buttons for the elderly? They should be owned by every real estate agent in the country so that if they are attacked they can press the button and alert the police. Add GPS to the device and this could provide 2 benefits. First, the agent could notify authorities quickly if they were being threatened or assaulted. Second, would be assailants would know the possibility of being caught would be much higher and be a deterrent to attacks.

Between 1982 and 2000, more than 200 U.S. real estate agents were killed on the job, according to a safety report published by the Kentucky Real Estate Commission. Untold other agents were raped or mugged.
On Saturday, prospective buyers who stopped to tour a McKinney model home found Sarah Anne Walker’s body. She had been stabbed more than two dozen times. Police are sifting through clues to find her assailant.

Sarah Anne Walker In 2002, at least four sales agents were robbed at gunpoint while showing homes in North Dallas.
And not all attacks get publicity.
In an industry that depends on one-on-one contact, sales agents know that they must be wary of the wrong kind of person.
“If only we knew what an attacker looks like – that’s the problem,” said Sherryl Wesson, an office manager for Dallas-based Ebby Halliday Realtors. “You have to be on guard all the time.”
To keep sales agents safe, Ms. Wesson said her firm asks prospects who want to see a home to meet at the agent’s office and provide identification. And agents are discouraged from working alone at an open house.
“We always like for them to have someone accompany them at an open house,” she said. “You can’t be a sitting duck.”  via  WFAA.com

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There Are 3 Responses So Far. »

  1. Comment by debi marion on 2 May 2007:

    When will the trial begin for the alleged murder of Sarah Walker?

  2. Comment by Joseph P. Durso on 31 August 2007:

    Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We are to trusting because one of our qualities is to be open and trusting. We know that the world has changed so much but we still trust. Maybe this trust must be temperered and re-looked at. Getting a copy of the buyers drivers license may be totally fine and give the buyer a bit more respect of us and our type of job not to mention how a woodbe felon would react. Thanks again.

    joedurso@msn.com
    Cell direct 734-231-7800

  3. Pingback by Agent Murdered in Dallas Model Home — The Real Estate Bloggers on 3 January 2008:

    […] More on the murder of Sarah Anne Walker. […]

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