Real Estate Agents In Ohio Get New App To Stay Safe

No matter what career path you choose all lines of work comes with risks, and this is something that real estate agents know very well. Although showing and selling properties may seem like a simple and safe job, there is much more that comes with the territory. In recent years, there have been an increasing number of real estate agents who have found themselves in unsafe situations while trying to show homes. A little over a year ago, a real estate agent in Arkansas was kidnapped and killed while on the job, and the incident left agents all over the country feeling uneasy. Recently, real estate officials in Ohio have used technology to take steps to help ensure the safety of local real estate agents. According to a spokesperson for the Ohio Association of Realtors, “They meet a stranger at a vacant house, and they’re not sure who’s walking through the door, so the industry is trying to take steps to put safety foremost.”

HER Realtors aims to provide its app, The Real Agent Guard,  to all 1,200 real estate agents in Ohio, and the app will give the agents a list of all nearby ‘safe harbor’ locations so they can meet strangers without fear. The app will also alert the agent’s office and colleagues when and where they are meeting with clients, and comes equipped with a panic button that can alert local authorities in the event of an emergency. According to HER president, Michael Mahon, “The culture has dramatically changed in our industry. Last year we had numerous cases in which agents were put into uncomfortable situations.” The app will be rolled out soon, and hopefully it will allow real estate agents to feel safer while doing their job. If it proves to be a success, maybe the app can be made available all over the country and gives agents all over the place a chance to be a little more secure.

(Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)