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Violence Against Real Estate Pros Prompts Trade Group to Take Action

The ""National Association of Real Estate Brokers"":http://www.nareb.com (NAREB) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with ""Agent Alarm LLC"":http://www.agentalarm.com/, a national security company. The agreement between the two parties is intended to address and curb the recent wave of attacks and acts of violence against real estate professionals in America.

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One of the most serious attacks in 2011 resulted in the death of Vivian Martin, a local real estate agent living and working in Youngstown, Ohio. Martin was beaten to death by three men in an abandoned home who were posing as potential buyers looking to purchase a home she had listed.

The MOU was signed during NAREB's 65th Annual Midwinter Conference in Miami last month. Under the agreement, Agent Alarm will partner with NAREB to develop and implement a _Real Estate Agent Safety Plan_, utilizing state-of-the-art technology and safety products.

Agent Alarm will also provide training sessions, industry-specific strategies, resources, and information to educate NAREB members and arm them with the knowledge to enhance their personal and professional safety. In addition, the Agent Alarm mobile safety application, an app which turns a user's phone into a personal safety device, will be made widely available to NAREB members.

""At times like this, when more homes and buildings are falling into foreclosure and vacancy, it's critically important to make real estate professionals aware of the safety concerns their job presents,"" said Chad Salahshour, co-founder of Agent Alarm.

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Salahshour says NAREB's leadership team has demonstrated ""a complete commitment"" to the safety of its members and their livelihoods. ""It's our goal to ensure that its members are even more educated, informed, and prepared for emergencies,"" he added.

Agent Alarm, based in Beachwood, Ohio, was founded by and is currently managed by the father-and-son team of Chad and Alexander Salahshour. Both have been involved in the real estate and law enforcement industries, and they say their past experiences have created a unique blend of safety knowledge and industry prowess which the two repeatedly called upon for the development of the company's flagship Agent Alarm app.

The company has also developed safety guidelines and educational programs specifically for the real estate industry and is working with partner organizations such as NAREB to support a national outreach effort to keep real estate professionals safe.

""Based on the recent wave of violence against real estate agents and other real estate professionals, often lured into showing homes under false pretences, I began searching for a knowledgeable partner in the safety and security industry that had the expertise to help us develop strategies to help keep our members safe,"" explained Julius Cartwright, NAREB's national president.

""[W]hen I was approached by…Chad and Alexander Salahshour from Agent Alarm it presented an incredible opportunity for us to partner on this unique initiative,"" Cartwright continued. ""Simply stated, we must do whatever it takes to protect real estate professionals as they go about their daily business.""

Additionally, Agent Alarm and NAREB have teamed up to create the Vivian Martin Scholarship Fund. A portion of the proceeds from sales of the Agent Alarm app will go to this cause.

""We're pleased to be founding supporters of the Vivian Martin Scholarship Fund,"" Salahshour said. ""We believe in supporting good causes and there's nothing which aligns with our goals more than the Vivian Martin Fund. We know our contributions and efforts are going to help families who have lost love ones to acts of violence, and to us, that's priceless.""

About Author: Carrie Bay

Carrie Bay is a freelance writer for DS News and its sister publication MReport. She served as online editor for DSNews.com from 2008 through 2011. Prior to joining DS News and the Five Star organization, she managed public relations, marketing, and media relations initiatives for several B2B companies in the financial services, technology, and telecommunications industries. She also wrote for retail and nonprofit organizations upon graduating from Texas A&M University with degrees in journalism and English.
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