Estate agents urged to be careful when working alone

Estate agents are being urged to ensure they take all the necessary precautions to protect staff working alone.

The Guild of Property Professionals asked agents to ensure they have a ‘Lone Working Policy’, and also advised all staff to be vigilant.

The pleas come after a recent documentary was shown on Channel 5 about Stephanie Slater (main picture), the estate agent who was kidnapped in 1992 by a man posing as a buyer.

The Guild says that while these incidents are rare, it is important that agents are always careful to take safeguards and protect themselves.

Ensure safety

Paul Offley, compliance officer at The Guild, says that given the nature of the estate and lettings business, it is highly likely that an agent will be required to work on their own at times.

“This could be in the office, on a new homes site, viewings, valuations, and property inspections to name, but a few.

While incidents are extremely rare, safety is of the utmost importance”

“While incidents are extremely rare, safety is of the utmost importance, and there should be a policy in place that ensures agents are safe when working on their own,” he says.

Michael Sams, who kidnapped West Midlands estate agent Stephanie Slater, was given multiple life sentences in 1993 after he was convicted of kidnapping her for four days, and also for the murder of Leeds woman Julie Dart.

Slater, who worked for Birmingham estate agent Shipways at the time, attended a house viewing in Great Barr where she met Sams.

Estate agent Suzy Lamplugh disappeared in 1986 after leaving the office to attend a viewing in Fulham, west London. No-one has been convicted of her murder.