My wife and I have two (2) kids attending WVU. I think kids reach a certain age where they no longer hear the parental commands: be careful. We challenged our kids as they ventured into increased responsibility of not living at home with two (2) best practices: (1) make good decisions and (2) be aware of your surroundings. These requests are critical entries to Life’s Little Instruction book. The practices can carry on with you for the remainder of your days regardless of the paths you choose. Being aware of your surroundings is a critical step in REALTOR® safety as well. REALTORS® safety protocols are improving over the years as a result of recent industry tragedies. On average, REALTORS® meet prospective clients whom they’ve never met before either at their office or in a neutral location 65% of the time. The value of these consultations spill over into the adage of working smarter not Create and foster a business relationship with clients BEFORE stepping foot in houses. 72% have personal safety protocols in place that they follow with every client. This is more likely among females (75%) than among males (64%). 38% of REALTORS® said that they have participated in a self-defense class. Among those who participated in a REALTOR® safety course, 39% said they feel more prepared for unknown situations after taking a REALTOR® Safety course. Aaron Marko is a local REALTOR®, serves on our Safety committee and is an instructor of several self defense classes. Part of his teachings include Col. Jeff Cooper’s Situational Awareness Color Code. The code identifies an individual’s state of being using the definitions of the color code. White: Most people exist in a relaxed and unprepared mental condition. Routine and familiarity lull them into a state of calm. They do the same things every day. They see the same people.. Yellow: Being aware of your surroundings at all times is conducive to a long life. It enables you to recognize potential hazards before they strike. Be alert to conditions in the environment. Take note of alternate routes in the event something unexpected happens.Orange: Something is not right. There is a potential hazard there. A specific detail has drawn your attention. You are at an alert status .Red: If the threat was real and you could not avoid it, you may have to fight. Too many of us spent too much in the WHITE code. We are not only relaxed and unprepared but too often we are distracted and not aware of our current situation. I mentioned this in my first article regarding safety. The next time you’re in a public setting, just sit back and observe the people around you. Chances are the majority are paying more attention to their mobile devices than what is going on around them. I’ll leave you with this, as I tell my kids: (1) make good decisions and (2) be aware of your surroundings. You could take it a step further and spend more time in the yellow code.
Until next week, love where you live. And if you don’t… contact your local REALTOR®.
Brian Haufe, 2022 MBOR President
