WAYS TO
STAY SAFE & SELL BY LEE NELSON Lee Nelson is a freelance journalist from the Chicago area. She has written for Yahoo! Homes, TravelNursing.org, MyMortgageInsider.com and REALTOR® Magazine. She also writes a bi-monthly blog on Unigo.com.
26 INSIGHT • August 2022
G
rowing up with a father who served as a police detective, Jessica Riffle Edwards realized from an early age that he instilled in her an extra level of awareness for her surroundings and safety. “When I was 22, I got into real estate, and I understood in the beginning not to run out to see a stranger. You need to have systems in place,” says Edwards, REALTOR® with The Carolinas Finest, Jessica Edwards & Associates with Coldwell Banker Jessica Edwards Sea Coast Advantage in Wilmington, N.C. The majority of REALTORS® never encounter danger. However, 14 percent said they experienced a situation that made them fear for their personal safety or safety of their personal information, according to the 2021 Member Safety Report from the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR). That number was larger—23 percent—in 2020. Seventy-two percent conveyed they have personal safety protocols in place that they follow with every client. This is higher among females (75 percent) than males (64 percent).