Real protection
Company offering self-protection course for female realty agents
When Carol O’Hanley sold real estate, she sometimes questioned how safe it was meeting with strangers.
“It’s something that’s always on my mind in the industry,” she said. “(And) on the minds of females.”
In one instance, a lone man attended her open house and it was just the two of them. The man appeared to be intoxicated.
Luckily, more clients arrived shortly after, but it got O’Hanley thinking about what could have happened if no one else arrived, or if the open house was in a more rural, isolated area.
“I definitely would have been afraid for my safety,” she said.
Real estate agents who are women can often find themselves in situations where they’re vulnerable. Their job is basically to invite strangers into a house, she said.
Now, O'Hanley is the coowner and office manager of Exit Realty in Charlottetown. The company is holding a selfprotection course for female real estate agents at their office on Nov. 16.
It’s being provided by Norton Arts, a conflict management company based on P.E.I.
Women in the insurance industry or any other field where these skills could be relevant may also attend.
“We would welcome anyone who felt the need for this course.”
Throughout the day, attendants won’t necessarily learn skills like self-defence or martial arts, because the course focuses more on preventative skills, like how to read a client’s dialogue and body language to determine whether they could be dangerous.
“It’s more to get yourself out of the situation. Or to avoid it,” O’Hanley said.
One example used in the course is if a female agent is holding an open house at a rural location, perhaps they could bring a fellow agent with them so they’re not alone.
“Something like this is more proactive rather than reactive."
There will also be some basic lessons on how to protect themselves if a client attacks, such as how to escape a hold. This is partly why the course is only being offered to women – in a co-ed class, some women might not feel comfortable partnering up with males for these activities, she said.
The company will hold another course for men in the industry if there’s enough interest.
One challenge, O’Hanley said, is that female agents don’t want to be rude when they’re dealing with clients. She hopes the course helps women know what boundaries to set in their workplace, as well as to provide them with peace of mind.
“I would be less concerned about them losing business and more about their safety,” she said.
The course runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 41 MacLeod Crescent in Charlottetown. There’s room for up to 24 attendants, and about half of the seats are already filled, O’Hanley said.