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Safety Warning Issued to Female Realtors in Virginia


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Lynchburg, VA- There's a warning out for female realtors across Virginia. The Virginia Association of Realtors says a man has been calling female agents to show them houses after dark, in isolated areas, by themselves.

We looked into what local realtors are doing to stay safe. A realtor may not be the top job that pops into your head when you think "danger." But, these professionals can be put in very compromising situations if they aren't thinking about safety.

"We're on the internet, our pictures are posted everywhere, our information is posted everywhere," said 22-year realtor Vickie Hull-Gilliland.

"There's sometimes a perception that agents are wealthy and probably carry a lot of money and probably have big diamond rings and that sort of thing. So if they're looking for an easy target, agents can be an easy target," said Joel Kramer, President of the Lynchburg Association of Realtors.

In the information age, it's easy for predators to pick their target. That's one thing that Hull-Gilliland has to keep in mind every day of her job.

"First of all, you never go show a house to a stranger alone. You ask them to come into the office, to show some identification," she said.

Safety is always in the forefront of her mind, especially after a notice from the Virginia Association of Realtors. It's a reminder of what can go wrong, like when Arkansas realtor Beverly Carter went to show a house last September, and never returned.

"I've felt uneasy in a vacant home by myself only a couple times but I made sure I stayed at the front door. I did not go through the house with them or go to the basement or put myself in a compromising situation that I couldn't get out of," said Hull-Gilliland.

Safety is such a big concern, orientation for new realtors even includes a section devoted to it, offering tips like these:

"Don't park your car at the end of a driveway so that you can't get out. If you feel uncomfortable, remove yourself from the situation," said Kramer.

"They're also told to let the administrative assistant know when they're leaving, where they're going and what time to expect them back," said Hull-Gilliland.

Some realtors choose to carry some kind of protection with them like pepper spray, or even a gun with a concealed carry permit. But the biggest safety precaution stressed to us is never go to a listing by yourself with someone you don't know.

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