Taking Safety Seriously
Tracey Hawkins is a former real estate agent. She is now most well-known as “Tracey, the Safety Lady” – a safety expert that vows to reduce and stop crimes against agents. To say fighting crime in the real estate realm is her passion is an understatement. It is who she is.
"It's not a matter of if the next crime against an agent occurs; it's a matter of when. It will happen again and again. Agent safety training should be mandatory," Tracey says.
She vows to fight for having training classes taught by qualified subject matter experts and urges agents to take a "layered" approach to safety, meaning, not relying on just one tool to stay safe.
Safety Tools
Tracey’s motto is that self-defense classes and carrying weapons alone are not the answer. They can be part of the agent's safety plan, but the key is learning how to do the job safely. Agents must start with the basics. Then they can add on. To achieve her goal of eradicating crimes against agents she has teamed up with:
- MACE, because over 17% of agents surveyed by the National Association of REALTORS® stated that pepper spray is their non-lethal safety product choice. Tracey says that the pepper spray is manufactured in the U.S. She also stated that MACE's reputation and commitment was a deciding factor for her joining with them.
- MyForce is a safety app that Tracey trusts because she has used it, activated it and had law enforcement officials respond onsite. She states that she likes this app because it connects directly to a live person listening in and trained to contact police if there is danger.
- Real Agent Guard is rolling out its Safe Harbor program nationally. The program allows associations and boards an opportunity to provide a safe place for agents to meet clients and copy ID when away from their office, regardless of sales company. They also offer a video surveillance service which serves as a deterrent during open houses because the agent's lap top becomes an obvious security monitor. The agent also posts signs that the property is under surveillance. This is another great deterrent. Missouri REALTORS® has recently partnered with Real Agent Guard! You can find out more on our Safety resources page.
Tracey’s Theory on Agent Safety
"Agents are making mistakes because some don't know better. They haven't been taught. Some do know, but, don't practice what they know. We need to go to the basics and we need to be serious about who is providing this life-saving training. Agents need to be taught how to work safely day-to-day. They need to have safe work practices drilled into them and a part of their routine."
Not only is Tracey a former REALTOR®, she is a Missouri native, none-the-less. With September being REALTOR® Safety Month, we couldn’t think of a more appropriate time to introduce you to this safety expert, in our own backyard.
“Tracey, the Safety Lady” will be leading a class at our September Business Conference where you can learn how to make safety part of your everyday plan as well as hear more about the safety tools available to you. It is just one of the ways we are striving to keep Missouri REALTORS® safe!