Las Vegas real estate agents learn self-defense after recent open house burglary

Las Vegas real estate agents are taking their safety into their own hands after a recent burglary at an open house in Summerlin.

TO LIGHT THE DANGERS OF SELLINGA HOME.AND REAL ESTATE AGENTS...ARE TAKING THEIR SAFETY INTOTHEIR OWN HANDS."GOOD MORNING LAS VEGAS" ANCHORKALYNA ASTRINOS SHOWS YOU THELENGTHS...REALTORS ARE GOING TO PROTECTTHEMSELVES."OPEN HOUSE"...THE TERM SOUNDS WELCOMING...BUT ALONG WITH BRINGING INPOTENTIAL BUYERS...IT CAN ALSO PUT OUT THE WELCOMEMAT FOR CRIMINALS"YOU ARE KIND OF A SITTINGDUCK" LOCAL REALTOR...MOLLY FOWLER...SAYS SHE'S HELD THESE EVENTS...ALONE IN THE PAST."YOU'RE ALWAYS JUST ON EDGEBECAUSE YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT TOEXPECT WITH PEOPLE" AND SHEDOES WHAT SHE CAN TO PROTECTHERSELF."I'LL CARRY PEPPER SPRAY IN MYPURSE, I'LL CARRY A KNIFE WITHME." AND SHE'S NOT THE ONLYONE...ACCORDING TO THE NATIONALASSOCIATION OF REALTORS' 20-19SAFETY REPORT...33 PERCENT OF AGENTS...SAID THEY EXPERIENCED ASITUATION THAT MADE THEM FEARFOR THEIR PERSONAL SAFETY....AND 44-PERCENT...CARRY SOME KIND OF WEAPON WITHTHEM ON THE JOB...PEPPER SPRAY...BEING THE MOST COMMON FORWOMEN.GUNS...TOPING THE LIST FOR MEN."DON'T ALLOW YOURSELF TO BECOMEA VICTIM" CAPTAIN REGGIE RADER(RAIDER)...WITH THE LAS VEGAS METROPOLITANPOLICE DEPARTMENT SAYS...YOUR FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE...DOES NOT HAVE TO BE A WEAPON."IF YOU TAKE THE TIME AND YOUPUT THE PREPARATION WORK INBEFOREHAND YOU CAN AVOID A LOTOF PROBLEMS DOWN THE ROAD."CAPTAIN RADER SAYS THE BUDDYSYSTEM...IS AN EFFECTIVE WAY...TO THWART OFF A POTENTIALATTACKER."ANYTIME YOU CAN DO SOMETHINGIN NUMBERS IS ALWAYS VERYIMPORTANT" HE SAYS THEHOMEOWNER...IS ANOTHER KEY TOYOUR SAFETY...DURING AN OPEN HOUSE ORSHOWING.THE CAPTAIN SAYS IT'S IMPORTANTTO MAKE THE HOME LESS INVITINGFOR "WOULD- BE" CRIMINALS."MAKE SURE YOU'RE NOT LEAVINGVALUABLES OUT.WE'VE HAD INSTANCES WHERETHEY'VE LEFT FIREARMS OUTBEFORE, THEY'VE LEFT JEWELRYJUST OUT IN THE OPEN ON TOP OFA COUNTERTOP." TOMBLANCHARD...IS THE PRESIDENT OF "LAS VEGASREALTORS".HE SAYS THERE ARE MANY THINGSYOU CAN DO TO ENSURE YOURSAFETY...LIKE ASKING FOR IDENTIFICATIONFROM CLIENTS...OR ALWAYS MAKING SURE YOUCLOSEST TO THE DOOR.BLANCHARD SAYS TAKINGPRECAUTOINS LIKE THESE COULDHAVE PREVENTED...A RECENT BURGLARY IN SUMMERLIN."HOLDING AN OPEN HOUSE FOR ANYREALTOR CAN BE LITTLE BIT IFFYBECAUSE YOU JUST DON'T KNOWWHO'S COMING IN THROUGH THEDOOR" EARLIER THIS MONTH...AREALTOR...HOSTING AN OPEN HOUSE....NEAR HUALAPAI AND SUNSET...LET A GROUP OF TEENS IN...WHILE TWO OF THEM DISTRACTEDHER...THE OTHERS CASED THE MASTERBEDROOM.THANKFULLY NO ONE WAS HURT...BUT IT'S PUT MANY IN THEINDUSTRY ON EDGE..."IF WE ARE NOT PREPARED, IT CANBE A VERY UNFORTUNATESITUATION" CELESTE HARVEY...IS A MORTGAGE LOAN OFFICER..."WHENEVER I DO AN OPEN HOUSEWITH A REAL ESTATE AGENT, WEARE USUALLY IN PAIRS" CELESTESAYS...IT CAN BE SCARY...MEETING PEOPLE YOU DON'TKNOW...IN AN UNFAMILIAR PLACE.THAT'S WHY SHE'S ORGANIZED ASELF- DEFENSE CLASS...JUST FOR REALTORS...CELESTE: (LAUGHS) "IT WORKS!LET'S TRY IT ONE MORE TIME""I JUST WANT PEOPLE TO REALIZETHAT NO MATTER HOW BIG OR HOWSMALL YOU ARE, IF YOU'RE AFEMALE OR MALE, YOU CAN FINDYOURSELF IN A SITUATION WHEREYOU NEED TO USE BASICSELF-DEFENSE SKILLS" AT THEHELM...IS BRAZILIAN JIU JITSU WORLDCHAMPION...TALIA VAUGHAN."THE TRICK TO BREAKING ALLGRIPS IS VERY SIMPLE - ALWAYSGO TOWARDS"THE TRICK TO BREAKING ALLGRIPS IS VERY SIMPLE - ALWAYSGO TOWARDS THE THUMB"SOMEONE THAT I LOVE OR THAT IKNOW' BUT WE DON'T KNOW THAT"JUST LIKE CAPTAIN RADER...TALIA BELIEVES THAT "PREVENTIONIS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OFSELF-DEFENSE".TALIA: "NO ONE IS A SUPERHEROIN HERE.I'M NOT A SUPERHERO IF I WAS INTHAT POINT WHERE EVEN I CANDEFEND MYSELF I WOULD CHOSE NOTTO""MY GOAL IS TO ACTUALLY HAVEWOMEN NOT USE THESE DEFENSEMOVES.IT HAPPENS SOMETIMES AND IT'SGOOD TO KNOW THEM, BUT THE BESTTHING YOU CAN DO IS JUSTPREVENT THEM FROM HAPPENING BYTHINKING ABOUT THINGS YOU CANDO TO PREVENT IT"MOLLY: "DOES IT MATTER...IT DEPENDS ON THE THUMB" TALIA:"YEAH EXACTLY, IF SHE GRABS YOUWITH THIS HAND, I AM GOING THISWAY" SOMETHING MOLLY..."EVERYTHING I WAS TAUGHT TODAYI WOULD HAVE DONE THE COMPLETEREMINDER...EVEN IF YOU DON'T SELL HOUSES.KALYNA ASTRINOS...13AN.LAS VEGAS METRO SAYS THEBURLGARY IN SUMMERLIN WAS AN"ISOLATED INCIDENT".NO ARRESTS HAVE BEEN MADE.THE DEPARTMENT HAS APARTNERSHIPWITH THE "LAS VEGASREALTORS"...WHERE THEY ALSO OFFER SAFETYAND SELF- DEFENSE COURSES.FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THAT...AS WELL AS THE CLASS FEATUREDIN THIS PIECE...HEAD TO OUR WEBSITE...KTNV DOT COM.NEW ON 13 ACTION NEWS... AT 11.