Yet another woman has been attacked during an open house. Not many details have been released yet, but the attacker has been arraigned for rape and kidnapping. Read more here.
The local news report said it wasn’t known yet whether the victim was a real estate agent or the builder’s rep. The attacker reportedly entered a model home off Hayden Run Rd and initially posed as a potential home buyer.
I’ve written articles before regarding the personal safety training that we agents are given or the additional classes we can take for further training. I don’t know whether builders give their employees the same cautionary advice. I would be surprised if they didn’t.
Open Houses provide a good opportunity for real estate agents to gain extra exposure for their listings. Of course, for builders in a new development, having the model open daily is critical to their business.
While these assaults may represent a small percentage compared to ALL the homes open daily or weekly, that’s small consolation to the agents that are the victims.
As I’ve said before, this risk extends to those sellers who are attempting to sell their home on their own and who are alone in their home with a complete stranger. Read my other articles:
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Safety concerns for Realtors® and sellers (with a video)
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Realtors need to hear this information, thanks so much for sharing. They should all carry personal protection products such as pepper spray as well.