Assured Title Services, LLC, invited the Lee County Sheriff’s Office to conduct safety training for local real estate agents.
Melissa Smith and Libby Fekette are two who took part in it on Tuesday, both with years of experience in the real estate industry under their belts.
“You hear, ‘Oh, I’m a cash buyer, I really want to look at this house today,'” said Smith, a real estate agent with McMurray & Members of Royal Shell Real Estate. “No two days are ever the same. So, we are always all over the place. We are constantly showing houses, listing houses, meeting with clients, following up,” added Fekette, a broker associate with Royal Shell Real Estate.
But after the arrest of 58-year-old Tracey Ramirez, a registered sex offender who was arrested in September, accused of luring real estate agents in Cape Coral, it prompted many like Smith to reconsider their safety measures.
“We always think about our safety in the back end, but this put it to the forefront, and really made us all talk about it and think about it,” she said. “And I just canceled a showing last week because of it.”
Fekette expressed concerns about the risks women face in the industry.
“There have been a number of different scary situations that I’ve personally encountered,” she said. “People sending things to the office, writing letters, stalking, internet, cyberbullying, all of the things.”
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office provided safety tips during the training, emphasizing the importance of verifying client identities, meeting new clients in public places, and sharing locations with colleagues, friends, or family.
The realtors who attended said it was extremely helpful.
“Oh, it’s a no-brainer to participate in these types of workshops that are organized, and we are so lucky,” said Fekette. “Just to create awareness and make sure that all of us are safe at all times,” added Smith.
As for Ramirez, he is expected to appear in court on Monday at 8:30 a.m.