Any agents ever been in any dangerous situations?

Question

I read a little bit on the crimes committed against real estate agents while on the job and I'm curious if anyone has had any sticky situations or ever been really uncomfortable and uneasy.

Its odd that a white collar job is one of the more high-risk professions.  
Can an agent legally carry a concealed gun?

Also do you think most attacks are carried out against women? or is it pretty indiscriminate?

Joel Owens · Answer

It always cracks me up when I hear the response for everyone to "get a gun".

People need to realize that a majority of the places out there even with  a permit do not allow a gun onto the premises.

What will you do in that situation?? You have to use your body (natural weapons) your hands and your feet to defend yourself and any surrounding objects that can sway things in your favor.

Many people buy a gun and never practice with it and can't even shoot straight and freeze up when a real confrontation  happens. Worse is that the attacker has taken the weapon from you and is using it against you. That goes for knives as well or pepper spray.

I think weapons can be horrible for the everyday person to carry. It can give them a FALSE sense of security. They think I do not have to practice or stay in shape or learn other skills to defend myself.

They also let their guard down too much feeling they have a weapon so are in a superior position. That in itself is very dangerous to let your guard down. You have to be ready at all times to handle a situation (carrying or not). If you do not practice you will not have the muscle memory to react fast and in a technically accurate manner to inflict the most damage in the least amount of time.

Don't kid yourself if you think buying a knife or gun or pepper spray will solve all of your problems if you never practice or work out. The people that carry out attacks that I have seen are not typically out of shape and overweight. They usually have some degree of mobility to carry out their attacks. They train for the event  and you should too so that you will come out on top of the situation.

I am not saying weapons are all bad and that a small percentage does train with them on a regular basis. I just do not want the public at large believing buying a weapon makes all your problems solved. learn how to use your body FIRST (something you can defend with every place you go and THEN start learning external weapons that are an extension of your body that you can just use in limited places.

Rob K. · Answer

I've walked into vacant houses that were a crime scene - broken in for the copper or a bum had been "staying" there. I would recommend carrying a gun if it will make you feel safer. I carry one.

Most brokers will have a "no weapons" policy in their rules. People will ask, "What if I'm caught at work with my gun?" I ask, "What if you're caught without it?"

I would recommend that everyone who deals with the general public learn a form of self defense. It's way more fun than working out in a boring gym. I would much rather be a stealth fighter than some muscle bound juicer. Not only will you get an excellent cardio workout, but you will be able to defend yourself and have that extra level of confidence that you may or may not need. For women especially, there are classes that teach you how to defend against a male attacker. A woman is much more likely to be victimized in a house than a man.

Account Closed · Answer

Yes, prowling around empty houses can be dangerous.  I always yell out when I go in an empty house,"  ITS THE REAL ESTATE MAN"  I don't want to sneak up and surprise anyone.  I did this once.  I stumbled over a homeless guy that was sleeping.  He was startled. I was startled.

In Florida, you can get a permit and carry a gun. If you do, be super careful.  Pepper Spray might be a less dangerous choice.  I assume you have heard of George Zimmerman.  I would not want to have his problems.  Pepper spray would have solved the problem and he would not be on trail for murder. If trouble comes your way, all you need is to get away. I sell pepper spray in my classroom.  I sell twice as much in broker classes than I do in pre license classes.  I believe that is because the students have been on the streets for several years and are aware of the danger.

I think a bigger problem than physical violence is con men.  My students have told plenty of stories about con games perpetuated againest real estate agents.  Anything that sounds to good to be true is probably not true.  Be safe. Be prepared.

Curtis N. · Answer

I'm not an agent, but I was looking at a short sale a couple years ago and the current owner was home with her ~12yo son. They walked us around and showed us the house telling us the little details.

Every time we approached a new room, the overweight son would step in front of me and growl loudly (for lack of a better term) and stare me down. The mother would move him out of the way and we would (awkwardly) move on.

Until we approached HIS bedroom. He ran into his room and grabbed one of those cheap Chinese-made katana (but still deadly) swords and stood in the middle of the room just staring at us. We just gtfo at that point. Didn't really like the house anyway.

And about the guns. I agree that they're not for everyone. Some people would actually do more harm for themselves by carrying. I don't carry all the time but if I know I will be somewhere I know is sketchy, I'll conceal carry. I also visit the NRA HQ range right next to my office often to stay sharp. If you're not properly trained, do yourself a favor and don't carry. Or even better, get trained and commit to it.

Ben Skove · Answer

Walking through a vacant house today in which the squatters had kinda-sorta-mostly moved out, I looked down at the kitchen floor and saw a dozen bullets scattered around. Evidently the "Do Not Enter" sign with "We will shoot" written beneath it wasn't a bluff. If my guy from the neighborhood hadn't told me they were out and knew I was coming, it would have been interesting.

The way that I know that RE is starting to become ingrained is that the long-term leak around the chimney in the room bothered me much more.

Rob K. · Answer

I'm curious why you would carry a taser instead of a gun? Texas is a gun friendly state.

Mark Forest · Answer

Ron ultimately pepper spray is only pain compliance.  There are those out here who are immune to feeling pain either due to drugs or they are simply not bothered by the low level of pepper spray that civilians are allowed to carry.

Depending on pepper spray may give you and your students false hope, and then it may be too late.

Dev Horn · Answer

In uneasy situations, I carry a Taser C2 on my belt.  It just looks like a flashlight, and there are no laws that prevent you from carrying a Taser.

Steve K · Answer

Yep.  Once walked into a vacant short sale in a pretty nice neighborhood that had a few of what I presume to be meth addicts squatting there.  House was completely destroyed and the "tenants" were not very happy about my interruption.  After that I decided to use put my CC license to use when viewing any property.

Mike D'Arrigo · Answer

Nick Saucier, first, an agent can carry a concealed weapon only if they are licensed to do so. Each state vary's on their "right to carry laws". Basically, there are 2 sources of danger when going in to an empty house. One is where someone specifically sets the agent up by acting as a potential buyer. Unfortunately, this is more common then you might think and in general, more of a risk for women. The second scenario is where you might surprise squaters or someone in the home unlawfully. This is usually boarded up REO's. My partner and I went to a property that he had recently bought and smelled pot as soon as we walked in. We then noticed that a bedroom door was closed and locked. As soon as we jiggled the handle we heard people scrambling out the bedroom window. In this case, it was just a bunch of kids partying in the house, but it could very well have been something more dangerous. My partner always carries a concealed weapon when going in to abandoned properties.