It happened again, about two weeks ago.
A safety alert was issued telling us that a number of REALTORS® in the White Rock area were encountering a would-be client behaving and speaking angrily and aggressively, for no apparent reason. In the interests of caution, we issued one of our eAlerts, which starting this week will be posted as they come in as Safety Alerts under the new Member section of our REALTOR Link® pages.
What do you do in this kind of situation?
If you have prepared yourself to put safety prevention into practice, you know that you should not argue with or otherwise show hostility to a person showing aggressive or agitated behaviours. There’s nothing to be gained from that. An angry person is not necessarily a violent person, but if you feel unsafe in any way, choose to be cautious.
If you are alone, you should get away from the person by leaving the room, or if necessary the office, and seek company among other people, even if it means going to a cafe or other public place. If you are on the phone, warn them that their language and tone is not appropriate and that if they continue, you will hang up.
Keep in mind though that individuals you may encounter in an agitated state, who curse and yell, may be experiencing an emotional meltdown or have a mental illness that causes those behaviours.
A person with mental illness is not likely to be violent, but if they are in a psychotic state, their behaviour could pose a risk to themselves, or to others.
Escaping a situation where a person is acting or speaking aggressively is a first step to safety.
Whether someone feels unsafe to be around, or merely alarming, every individual has to make the decision how to act with their own safety uppermost. If you feel it’s necessary to contact police for assistance, don’t hesitate to make the call, or at least report the incident after the fact. The person you fear may be desperate for help, with families who are worried about them.
If you feel it would help other members, you can send the details to the Board. You do not need to provide a name; a description and other details about the person can be a warning to other members.
There is a lot of information available dealing with personal safety that addresses the unique situations that a working Realtor is in as they go about their day to day business—off hours, unknown locations, and most importantly, meetings with total strangers.
As pointed out in our Realtor Safety Guidelines page—addressing personal safety is not about being fearful or curbing your style. It is just a necessary component of doing business as a Realtor.