South Whidbey real estate agents have become more conscious of safety since the murder of a real estate agent in Belleuve last year.

In January 2001, Mike Emert was murdered in the house he was showing. According to documents published by the Washington Real Estate Safety Council, he apparently put up a struggle but died of multiple stab wounds.

Twenty-one real estate professionals were murdered while on the job in the United States in 2000. A total of 206 agents died as a result of violent assaults from 1992 to 2000. Many more were raped, beaten and robbed.

These tragedies inspired the formation of the Washington Real Estate Safety Council which developed a set of guidelines intended for use by real estate agents statewide.

Since the Emert murder, South Whidbey real estate offices are instituting procedures to protect agents on the job.

“This has made us all conscious of personal security,” said JudyAnn Robitoy, executive officer of Realtors on South Whidbey and an agent with Coldwell Banker/Tara Properties in Bayview. “Here on South Whidbey it’s easy to have a laid back attitude,”

Since Emert’s death, South Whidbey real estate offices are encouraging common sense measures, Robitoy said. Now, agents are meeting new clients in the real estate office and verifying their identities. Most local real estate offices now photocopy the driver’s license and ask the client to fill out a form that includes name, home and business addresses and telephone numbers, and the make, model and license number of their car.

“If they are a legitimate client they don’t seem to mind this procedure,” said Carmen Falso, an agent with Windermere in Freeland.

Dana Bieber, an agent for five years with Coldwell in Langley, is in favor of these new more stringent guidelines, which are now requirements in many real estate offices.

“There have been times when I’ve been uneasy showing a home,” she said. “I think it has happened to most of us. If my gut says something isn’t quite right, I check to see if my cell phone works. Once I’m inside the house, I leave the front door open and stay near it. I will also mention that I am expecting another agent any minute.”

When showing undeveloped property, Bieber leaves her car door open and carries her keys with her. Most important, she said, she lets her office know where she is and who is with her. Her biggest concern, she said, is South Whidbey’s spotty cellular phone service. If she is showing property in an area without reliable service, her safety is at risk, she said.

There are times when meeting the client at the office beforehand just isn’t possible. Carmen Falso said sometimes a potential client might be sitting in front of home for sale calling on a cellular phone to ask for a showing. If it is close to the end of the work day, Falso said it makes little sense for the client to drive to his office just so they can turn around head back to the house.

“This is when we use the buddy system and take another agent with you,” he said. “This is especially a good idea for women agents.”

Then there is the bluff factor. Falso carries a machete in his car to cut brush down on property he is showing. It gets attention.

“When clients see that,” he said with a laugh, “they are more afraid of me.”

Coldwell’s Steve O’Sullivan not only keeps an eye out for his own safety, but for potential crimes against homeowners. He relates one instance when a client stole prescription drugs from a medicine cabinet during a showing.

To protect against crimes like this, he needs help from homeowners.

“I always tell people who are selling their home to lock up their valuables, like jewelery and small collectibles, and keep prescription medication out of sight.

To pre-empt using a sellers bathroom, especially when showing a client multiple properties, O’Sullivan asks whether that client needs to use a restroom when at or near one of Coldwell’s offices.