Murder of Arkansas Real Estate Agent Reminds Local Realtors to be Extra Vigilant

The murder of a real estate agent in Arkansas has valley realtors on edge. The 50-year old woman vanished last week after police say she went to show a home to a man, who she thought was a prospective buyer. It’s bringing to light the dangers of buying, selling, and renting.

“On a daily basis we’re doing what everyone else is trying to do and that is to try and make a living. We don’t expect anyone to harm us in any way, maybe we’re kind of naive in that kind of way,” said Rich Enright, a Palm Springs Real Estate Agent.

Police say Beverly Carter’s body was discovered in a shallow grave in the town of Cabot, just 30 minutes from the home where she met with a man who claimed to be an interested in buying the property.

In his 11 years as a real estate agent, Enright says there’s been moments he’s felt uneasy.

“Yeah, I’ve had a couple stalkers and it’s frightening, you know I’ve had to call the police a couple of times,” he said.

President of the Palm Springs Regional Association of Realtors says news of the Arkansas realtor’s death, thousands of miles away, hits close to home.

“We are all one big family you know the realtor community, we mourn for her family, its very sad,” said Dwayne Carrier, President of the association.

In light of the incident, he’s asking all realtors to remember to be extra cautious. Real estate agents are especially vulnerable because more often than not, they work alone, and at times late in the day and even on the weekends.

“We encourage the realtors to always let someone know where you’re going to be, when you’re going to be there, and when at all possible vet the clients that you’re going to meet,” Carrier said.

Enright says communication is key. Also have an escape route just in case.

“I always leave the doors open so there’s an exit need be. If you can’t get out the front door you can get out another door,” Enright said.

But most importantly, when showing a home, it’s best to do the buddy system and bring a partner or friend.

“It’s a concern for us, this is actually Realtor Safety Awareness Month for the association of realtors and we try to remind the realtors to use caution,” Carrier said.

“You don’t know their intentions, but you can feel their energy and you just need to be aware,” Enright said.

The association says they’ll be holding a meeting this week and hold a moment of silence for Carter. They also plan to send out an email blast to members letting them know about the incident and reminding them to be careful, vigilant, and safe in the line of duty.