OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (KOKH) — September is Realtor Safety Month and some local realtors spent their day training for real life scenarios they may encounter.
Members of the Oklahoma Metro Association of Realtors (OKCMAR) were able to do training in several different areas including cybersecurity and self-defense.
According to a 2024 study by the National Association of REALTORS, about one in four agents say they have experienced a situation that made them fear for their personal safety or the security of their personal information.
“From a cybersecurity standpoint, there’s a lot of risk with AI and those things right now,” said Vickie Zenker who is on the Board of Directors at OKCMAR. “…We can be at risk ourselves, but we can also have clients that are at risk. So it’s important that we know that and that’s just a different kind of safety that we haven’t really had 10 years ago.”
Zenker said there are a lot of different risks realtors can encounter.
“But especially at open houses where a lot of the crimes take place or showing homes is where they’re most at risk. We have seen an uptick of people squatting, meaning that they’re in the house when we go in to show it,” she told FOX 25.
OKCMAR hosted a Realtor Safety Day on Thursday, which included self-defense training.
“He focused on the basics, real life situations, what do you do if someone attacks you or you feel like you have nowhere to go,” Zenker said. “A lot of times in real estate as realtors, we get caught up in all of that every day today. If we just had those few tips and did a little bit of training, then we have that confidence in knowing if we are in a situation, we actually know how to handle it.”
Members also had the opportunity to speak with Oklahoma City police officers, firefighters and the bomb squad.
