I just got off the phone with Dallas Police Department’s North Central Patrol Division Neighborhood Police Officer Mark Lutz, who will be giving us more detailed tips in the coming days on how Realtors can better protect themselves from dangerous criminals, so stay tuned.
Until then, real estate agents can take some comfort in the news that Arkansas officials have apprehended Arron M. Lewis, a convicted felon and parolee accused of kidnapping Little Rock real estate agent Beverly Carter while showing a vacant property. Lewis escaped from an area hospital after a single-car accident just 30 minutes from the bank-owned home Carter was showing when she disappeared. Yesterday, after his escape from the hospital, a judge issued a warrant for his arrest. A Facebook page has been started to help disseminate information regarding Carter’s disappearance.
Of course, this has some Realtors wondering how to best keep this from happening to them. Lutz suggests that a third-party background check would be helpful to screen out potentially risky clients, such as SecureShow. Otherwise, staying aware of dangerous situations is key, Lutz said, as well as calling 911 the moment you suspect something is up.
Inman News says that some agents are calling this incident a “wake-up call” for Realtors. What do you think?
