LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — As more people have headed to open houses to browse for their potential home, real estate agents have been making sure they aren't setting themselves up for danger.
Realtors have begun to see a shift in the market.
Kaye Chambers, with Keller Williams Realty mentioned how the shift in the housing market has been, in part, due to the interest rate hike.
"Houses are staying on the market just a little bit more," Chambers said.
Although that hasn't stopped future homebuyers from stopping by.
"It's definitely more people than last summer,' Chambers described.
Asides from showing off homes that are currently on the market, she also makes sure that she can stay out of harm's way.
"Safety is a huge factor and what we do as real estate agents," Chambers said.
One of the first things Chambers said her company teaches them about, is what safety precautions the agents should take.
"Making sure that you get everyone to sign in, making sure that you know where all your exits are [and] that you don't have any open windows," Chambers explained.
Ericka Day, a realtor with Crye-Leike Realtors mentioned how she created a buddy system.
"I will bring someone with me, whether it's another realtor, my husband, or my brother, I will always let somebody know I'm there," Day said.
She even goes a step further and sees if people who live in the neighborhood are able to help.
"I might go to the neighbor's door and be like, you know, I'm hosting an open house here tomorrow. Can you kind of pay attention [and] keep an eye on me," Day said.
Staying safe isn't just a priority for her, but also for her company. They meet weekly to remind fellow realtors what precautions they should take.
Fortunately, both real estate agents said that they've never been in any danger while on the job.
"Always follow your instinct [and] your gut feeling. If your gut feeling tells you that ain't right, it ain't right," Day said.
Their safety is thanks to some careful training from their respective companies.
"We're making it much harder for people to consider doing anything that might be something that could harm us," Chambers said.
Back in 2014, real estate agent, Beverly Carter was kidnapped at a house showing and murdered by a man and a woman, since then The Beverly Carter Foundation was created.
You can check out the foundation's website for tips and tricks on how realtors can stay safe here.