(Ed. note: Some may find the contents of this video uncomfortable or disturbing.)
ST. LOUIS – A terrifying experience for a real estate agent in California and the whole thing was caught on camera. She was viciously attacked and groped by a man she had been showing a house to. Now, local realtors are using an app to stay safe.
The violent attack is putting others on high alert. Real estate agent Jenni Beck said she had a close call in 2012 when she was meeting a client at a secluded home and things took a turn for the worse.
“He was screaming at me, ‘Tell whoever is in your car to get out,’ ‘You said you were coming alone.’ At that time, the adrenaline was pumping, I put the car in reverse and went through a ditch and bailed and called 911,” she said.
Beck and other realtors in the area are now using an app called Forewarn.
“People want to work with agents they like and trust, same thing that goes for us. We want to work with clients that we like and trust. I may not like all of my clients, but I want to be able to trust being in a house with them,” Beck said. “This app helps me verify that the information they gave me over the phone or email matches with what is out there.”
Agents can find out more about their clients within seconds. All they have to do is enter the client’s phone number into the app. They can then pull an instant background check, which includes criminal and financial history.
“You can put a phone number in it, a name in it, and it will give you some information. Any address recorded to the person, phone numbers, if they filed bankruptcy, criminal history, and it could be as little as a speeding ticket or it could be armed robbery,” said Beck.
Since Beck’s incident in 2012, she said it has changed the way she does business. She said this app is a new layer of protection she is thankful for.
“There is not a paycheck worth me not coming home to see my kids again,” Beck said.
