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Realtor Pushes For Mandatory Safety Requirements

FORT SMITH (KFSM)- As the search for missing realtor Beverly Carter has made national headlines. 5NEWS spoke to two licensed realtors and asked what are the man...

FORT SMITH (KFSM)- As the search for missing realtor Beverly Carter has made national headlines.

5NEWS spoke to two licensed realtors and asked what are the mandatory safety measures when showing homes to strangers.

They tell 5NEWS there aren't any.

Monica Ibison is a licensed realtor in Fort Smith.

“It`s not something you can always say meet me at the office," Ibison said.

Ibison has nine years of real estate experience.

“There`s no policy in place,” Ibison said.

Ibison’s company has state of the art lock boxes that present some protection.

“Our current lock box system does have GPS,” Ibison said.

Ibison said she would like to see a universal security requirement. One that she says could have prevented Carter's disappearance.

“'I`m not sure if a safe button or anything like that would be feasible,” Ibison said.

Female realtors aren't the only ones put in a potentially dangerous situation.

“The individual real estate agent is responsible for conducting their own safety procedures,” Fort Smith realtor Frank Lay said. “Personally safety takes a lower importance than showing property. However today that might be something to rethink.”

Ibison and Lay said there are certain precautions realtors can take.

“If you have a concealed gun permit you could certainly carry one,” Lay said.

"If you are not there to serve them they will call someone else and you just have to be ready," Ibison said.

Anyone with information on Carter's disappearance is asked to call police.

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