WARNING: EXTREMELY GRAPHIC AND DISTURBING VIDEO BELOW

***WARNING:  EXTREMELY DISTURBING VIDEO.  VIEWER DISCRETION***

I spent the last couple of days analyzing this video, discussing it with my self-defense colleagues, and debating whether I should share it on my blog.  As I advise, it is disturbing and difficult to watch. 

Also, this incident does not involve real estate.  This is a home invasion and brutal attack captured on a NannyCam.  So......why upload it to a blog that focuses on safety and awareness for the real estate professional?

Simply put:  this is a real-world example of true violence.  The attack is fast, horrific and without mercy.  There is no soundtrack, no glib banter, no quotable tag lines.  This is not a movie. This is real violence.  This is the type of thing that happens when someone is physically attacked.

While we don't expect to be the target of such an attack, we can understand it, prepare for it and plan accordingly.

Our prayers go out to the victim of this attack, her 3-year-old daughter who witnessed it, their entire family.  We hope the attacker, who is currently still at-large, is brought to justice swiftly.

Until next time.......

Stay Safe!

The 21-Foot Rule

As a real estate professional, is there ever a situation, while showing property or interacting with clients, when you are separated by a distance greater than 21 feet?  Probably not.

The reason I ask is because I recently participated in a training exercise during which we tested the 21-foot rule.  This “rule” is simply a calculation of reaction time and distance.   It suggests that an average law enforcement officer can draw his weapon and fire two shots at a man charging him with a knife or blunt weapon in 1.5 seconds.  An average man can sprint 21 feet in about 1.5 seconds—hence the 21-foot rule.

Although this is a viable starting point for such a calculation, the test is actually a bit skewed.  Consider that our test subjects knew what was happening or going to happen during the exercise.  They didn’t have to overcome the time delay necessary to perceive a threat, identify a target and execute.  They just had to react.

By adding in extra time to perceive the threat and determine a response, the 21-foot rule is more like a 45-foot rule!  This is a significant distance that a motivated assailant can cover before his target can actually react. 

There is much value in understanding this rule—for law enforcement professionals, as well as the civilian population in general.  And especially for real estate professionals.

What it means to the real estate professional is that we must continue to tilt the field in our favor prior to meeting with clients.  It does us very little good to train in self defense, master martial arts or even carry a weapon if we don’t understand our limitations as illustrated, in part, by the 21-foot rule.  Throughout our interactions with clients, assuming they have bad intent, they will always be in a position to get to us before we can respond.

Therefore, we must stay ahead of any potential threat.  To do so:

*We must remain alert and aware at all times.

*We must trust our gut and act on our intuition.

*We must believe what we see and act accordingly.

*We must, must, must verify our clients fully before meeting with them.

This last point is essential.  It is critical to enter into client meetings knowing that our clients are capable of completing the contemplated transaction.  Working with clients who are not thoroughly scrutinized and really pre-approved does us no good.

It is also essential to know with confidence that our clients are who they claim to be, that their identification isn’t fake and that their “story” is legitimate.  It does us no good to discover contrary information within that 21-foot zone.  Within that zone, we are clearly at risk despite all our other precautions.

We’ll discuss more on how to thoroughly verify our clients in coming posts.

Until then,

Stay Safe!

The Cooper Color Code

The most important means of surviving a lethal confrontation, according to John Dean “Jeff” Cooper, is neither a weapon nor martial skills. The primary tool is the combat mindset.

John Dean "Jeff" Cooper (May 10, 1920 – September 25, 2006) was a United States Marine Corps officer who saw combat in the Pacific during World War II and in Korea. Cooper is the creator of what is known as "the Modern Technique" of handgun shooting.  He is also considered to have been one of the 20th century's foremost international experts on the use and history of small arms.

Cooper published numerous books, including Principles of Personal Defense. In the chapter on awareness, Cooper presents an adaptation of the Marine Corps system to differentiate states of mental readiness.

The color code, as originally introduced by Cooper, had nothing to do with tactical situations or alertness levels, but rather with one's state of mind.  It relates to the degree of peril you are willing to do something about and which allows you to move from one level of mindset to another to enable you to properly handle a given situation.

Cooper did not claim to have invented anything in particular with the color code, but he was apparently the first to use it as an indication of mental state.

White: Unaware and unprepared. If attacked in Condition White, the only thing that may save you is the inadequacy or ineptitude of your attacker. When confronted by something nasty, your reaction will probably be "Oh my God! This can't be happening to me." 

Yellow: Relaxed alert. No specific threat situation. Your mindset is that "today could be the day I may have to defend myself". You are simply aware that the world is a potentially unfriendly place and that you are prepared to defend yourself, if necessary. You use your eyes and ears, and realize that "I may have to defend myself today".

You should always be in Yellow whenever you are in unfamiliar surroundings or among people you don't know. You can remain in Yellow for long periods. In Yellow, you are "taking in" surrounding information in a relaxed but alert manner, like a continuous 360 degree radar sweep. 

Orange: Specific alert. Something is not quite right and has your attention. Your radar has picked up a specific alert. You shift your primary focus to determine if there is a threat. Your mindset shifts to "I may have to deal with that person," focusing on the specific target which has caused the escalation in alert status. In Condition Orange, you set a mental trigger: "If that person does ‘X’, I will need to stop them".  Staying in Orange can be a bit of a mental strain, but you can stay in it for as long as you need to. If the threat proves to be nothing, you shift back to Condition Yellow.

Red: Condition Red is a fight. Your mental trigger (established back in Condition Orange) has been tripped. "If 'X' happens I will deal with that person" - 'X' has happened, the fight is on.

In short, the Color Code helps you "think" prior to a crisis situation or fight. As the level of danger increases, your willingness to take certain actions increases. If you ever do go to Condition Red, the decision to use force has already been made (your "mental trigger" has been tripped).

As we continue to discuss awareness and safety, it is critical to think in terms of Cooper’s color code.  Being aware is one aspect, being prepared is another.  Cooper’s color code helps us set lines in the sand and mentally prepare ourselves to respond if those lines are crossed.

More to come.......until then,

Stay Safe!

Rising to the Occasion

I’ve often heard people say that they expect to “rise to the occasion” if their survival, or the lives of their loved ones, is at stake. 

Their theory is that a person can harness and channel extraordinary strength, agility and ability in a crisis situation.   In that terrible moment, somehow, they would know what to do.  And execute.

The sad truth is that people don’t rise to the occasion.  They default to their lowest level of training.  This is especially true during violent confrontations and life-and-death struggles—all of which involve chaos, confusion, panic and pain. 

Our physiological response to such stimulus overload is usually to shut down.  We develop tunnel vision.  Our ears hear, but the meaning of words and sounds doesn’t register in our brains.  Heart rate and blood pressure sky rocket, breathing becomes shallow and hyper, and our adrenaline dumps.  Our muscles constrict and tighten.  Performing gross motor functions becomes challenging at best, and fine motor skills are almost impossible.  Basically, we devolve into “soup sandwich”.

At the moment of crisis, we are physically incapable of rising to the occasion. 

This is why we practiced fire drills as elementary school students.  The alarm went off, we lined up, moved single file down the hall—walking, not running—and exited the building quietly to be counted by a teacher once we were outside. 

By repeating those behaviors and routines under stress, with the noise of the alarm bells and other confusion, we ingrained those actions into muscle memory and responded.  We wouldn’t need to think and tax our already spinning brains in case of an actual fire.  We just needed to remember the drill and respond.

So……..with that in mind…….

Have you given any thought to what you would do if a client touched you inappropriately, threatened you or physically attacked you?  How would you react if you walked in on a squatter in a back bedroom of a home you were showing?

What specific steps might you take?  Do you think you would scream?  Are you capable of inflicting violence and pain on another person?  Have you really considered these scenarios and your likely responses?  Have you practiced them?

Do you honestly believe you would rise to the occasion?

These are deep thoughts to consider…..

Until next time,

Stay Safe!

Stay Alert and Avoid Being Lulled Into a False Sense of Security

So many things bother me about the attempted murder of Vernon Holbrook, the 78-year-old real estate agent in Yakima who was stalked and lured to a vacant property where his “clients” savagely attacked him.  But the one thing that bothers me most is the fact that Holbrook’s attackers brought 3 children with them to view the listing.

According to news accounts, the children were in the car when one of the attackers beat Holbrook and slit his throat in a bedroom of the vacant property.  There’s a relief.  The attackers had enough sense, decency, whatever, to not subject children to such a horrific spectacle.

The issue that sticks in my mind, however, is not one of parenting…..It’s the methodical planning these “people” engaged in to lull Holbrook into a false sense of security.  After all, who among us would expect a vicious attack from someone who arrived at the scene with his kids?  That kind of set up is as brilliant as it is evil.

When I teach my safety and awareness class, I advise my students to think like criminals would.  I warn them, for example, that just because a couple presents themselves as “husband and wife” doesn’t mean they are not capable of causing an agent harm.  There are prisons full of female criminals, after all. 

I also caution that criminals can go to great lengths to establish trust, create a false sense of security and set the stage before attacking an unsuspecting agent.  An attack does not necessarily have to happen on the first meeting with a client.  In fact, some criminals establish rapport with an agent to determine if that person is worth victimizing later—using conversation and house hunting as a tool to gather information about their potential target, scope out their jewelry, cash, etc….

So, each of us is responsible to stay vigilant and always keep our guard up.

And that’s why the use of children is so effective and ingenious.  It is SO disarming.  Every single person with whom I’ve discussed this story said they would have never suspected anyone would commit a violent crime with their children around.  People told me straight out:  as soon as they saw children in the car, they would have eliminated all suspicion of the client and considered themselves completely safe.  It is really troubling on so many levels.

I often say that criminals go to work—just like the rest of us.  They hone their craft.  They implement techniques to give themselves a competitive advantage.  They plan their work day.  They perform certain tasks and expect certain outcomes.  They evolve.

It is our job to be aware of this and to expect the unexpected.  The best way to do that is to prepare in advance of any client meeting--and especially before meeting new clients.   

1. Research your clients by getting them preapproved with a mortgage lender and discussing their file / situation with your mortgage partner.  Look for inconsistencies in their story.  This is not only important for safety, but also to avoid wasing time.
2. Introduce your clients to people at your office.
3. Take copies of driver’s licenses for a file you keep on all new clients.
4. Inform your family or colleagues of where you’re going, with whom, and when you’ll be back.
5. Let your clients know that you take these and other measures because safety is a priority for you and your office.  Use these measures to demonstrate that you will not be an easy target.

None of us can prepare for every eventuality.  And no one would want to live like that anyway.  But it is easy to create a routine consisting of a few simple safety procedures.  That routine will eventually become ingrained in muscle memory.  In short order, those behaviors will become natural and will integrate into our life gracefully and effortlessly.

 As we endeavor to balance our personal safety with our professional productivity, I urge everyone to embrace the old adage:  An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.

Until next time,

Stay Safe!

 

 

 

 

Two arrested in assault of Yakima real estate broker

When I tell people I teach a safety and awareness class geared toward real estate professionals, I often get puzzled looks in response.  I answer the unasked question by stating that real estate is considered by many to be "the most dangerous white collar job in North America."

Why?

Because real estate professionals meet strangers in empty buildings and vacant homes.  Usually the real estate agent is alone.  Many times they haven't told anyone where they're going, who they're meeting or when to expect them back.

Simply put, it can be a great opportunity for criminals.  And the bad guys know it.

http://www.yakimaherald.com/news/yhr/wednesday/1181701-8/two-arrested-in-assault-of-yakima-real-estate

The story linked above is a perfect illustration.  I encourage people to read the entire story, but for the sake of this post, I will cut and paste certain aspects and add my commentary in red.

From the Yakima Herald:

A man and woman accused of trying to kill Yakima real estate broker Vernon Holbrook while posing as prospective homebuyers were ordered held Tuesday on $750,000 bail while investigators seek a motive.

Luis Gomez-Monges, 38, and Adriana Mendez, 23, were arrested Monday by Yakima County sheriff’s detectives, two days after Holbrook, 78, was found in a pool of blood at a home in the Cowiche area. He had been severely beaten and his throat was cut.

This is a horrific violent crime / attempted murder committed against a 78-year-old real estate agent.

According to arrest affidavits, Mendez told detectives she and Gomez lured Holbrook to a vacant home by posing as prospective buyers and had asked for him specifically after calling his agency, Aspen Real Estate, earlier in the week.

Key words: "lured Holbrook to a vacant home by posing as prospective buyers and asked for him specifically."  These criminals targeted Holbrook and selected the crime scene because it was vacant.  They knew exactly what they were doing and why.  

This next section is not intended to blame a victim for crimes committed against him / her.  But, personal safety is everyone's responsibility and this is a teachable example:

I envision a call coming to Holbrook's real estate agency during which the caller specifically requests Holbrook.  When he gets on the phone with the client, does Holbrook ask why he was requested?  Who referred the client to him?  Was it a past client?  Where did they hear of Holbrook?  Did they see an advertisement, have they spoken in the past?  Does the entire story make sense? This is not a point of paranoia, but rather a question of safety.  It's also a matter of marketing.  If Holbrook is advertising, wouldn't he like to know which of those ads are working?

As I mention above, this is also an issue of a congruent story.  Later in the story we will learn the "clients" claimed to be relocating from Texas.  So......would it send someone red flags to consider that an out-of-towner is specifically requesting them?  We must be careful not to be so eager to make a sale that we don't consider why someone requests us.  If the story doesn't add up.......think twice about meeting the client.   

After initially denying involvement, Mendez told deputies that she and Gomez lured Holbrook to a vacant home by posing as prospective homebuyers from Texas staying at the Oxford Inn Suites, none of which was true, according to court records.

I can't say how thoroughly Holbrook researched his "clients" before meeting them.  And again, this is not intended to blame the victim.  But, a mortgage pre-approval screening conducted by a thorough mortgage lender, along with a credit report check, would have confirmed this couple was not from Texas and lying about their circumstances.  This could have given Holbrook cause for pause. 

Also, the story states they lured Holbrook to a vacant home.....so he met them there.  Had he picked them up from their hotel, or had them meet at his office, it might have inhibited their plans since Holbrook's colleagues would have been able to identify them.

Deputies said Mendez told them she saw Gomez punch Holbrook in the head before she left the bedroom where the attack took place. She then waited in a car outside with the couple’s three children.

Children.  They brought children to an attack in which Gomez slit the unconscious victim's throat. They likely used the children as cover to help maintain the facade that this is a family relocating from Texas.

According to the affidavit: “Adriana said that Vernon had been very respectful to both her and Luis prior to Luis assaulting him. She said no angry words had been spoken, and there did not appear to be any provocation.”

So this was a purely premeditated attack.  The criminals set this man up: selected him specifically, concocted a cover story, and chose a crime scene they knew to be vacant.  These people did their home work.  And that's something to remember about criminals.......they go to work, they plan and they execute. 

In addition to the assault case, Gomez is also being held without bail on an immigration detainer.

Again, a credit report would likely have indicated this man had legal or immigration problems.  It also might have suggested that he was not credit worthy to purchase a home.  If Holbrook had learned of this in advance, he might not have even agreed to meet the prospective buyer. 

______________________________

This is a terrible story and I feel for Mr. Holbrook, his family, friends and colleagues.  If anything good can come from this terrible tragedy, it is education so that others don't share a similar fate.  There are some simple steps a real estate agent can take to avoid this sort of attack--or at least make it more difficult for the attacker.

1.  Be a little suspicious of strangers.  When someone calls out of the blue and asks for you, ask why.  Real estate professionals meet people for a living.  They inherently must be optimistic that the people they meet want to do business with them and pay them a commission.  This optimism must be balanced with a healthy dose of suspicion.  The key word is balance.  Ask questions....."How did you find me?"  "Who referred you to me?"  And listen for answers.  If they don't match (i.e. you don't have a friend named Susie who could have referred this client), be on guard.  

2.  Before you meet any potential home buyer, get them pre-approved by a mortgage lender you trust.  Discuss the entire story with your mortgage partner.  This will not only uncover certain aspects of their past, it will also save you time if the buyer isn't credit worthy to purchase a property.

3.  Meet clients in your office.  This extra step allows you to introduce them around to your colleagues and puts would-be criminals on notice that people have seen them and know they are out with you.  They may be less inclined to commit crimes if an office full of people can identify them.

4.  Tell people where you're going and when to expect you back.

5.  Trust your instincts.  If something doesn't sound right, if a story doesn't add up, if the hair on the back of your neck stands up......trust your gut and get out.

_______________________

There is much more to discuss on this topic......We will cover more in the next post.  Until then......

Stay Safe