DES MOINES, Iowa — Authorities have made a breakthrough in the 15-year-old cold case of realtor Ashley Oakland, whose death significantly impacted real estate industry practices.
Oakland was found shot during an open house in West Des Moines in April 2011. Following her death, realtors in the Des Moines area created a safety pledge to enhance security measures. The pledge encourages realtors to work in pairs, use safety apps, and conduct thorough research on clients. This pledge has since become a standard practice.
Gavin Blair, CEO of Iowa Realtors, emphasized the lasting impact of Oakland’s death.
“It put it in everybody’s forefront that, hey, this is every job’s dangerous to some degree, but you really need to take seriously when you’re meeting, for example, a client you’ve never met before,” Blair said. “Do your homework. Understand who they are, where they came from.”
Since the introduction of the Des Moines safety pledge, agencies across all 50 states have adopted these principles to ensure realtor safety.