PORTSMOUTH, Va. — Messages of concern and condolences are being sent out to the family of a Hampton Roads realtor who was shot and killed in Portsmouth on Friday.
Some realtors from across Hampton Roads are voicing their concerns about the tragic incident.
“We were stunned and of course saddened because we're out here to try and provide a service for our clients," said realtor Walter Rein. "And when something like this tragic happens it makes you really think."
Rien has worked in the real estate industry for 26 years, and he knows the risks of the job.
“I actually had clients come with gun. That has happened before. Fortunately, I did know them, but it still made me feel a little unsettled," he said. "We have had a number of people that have called and we don't know them."
Rein said he’s becoming more aware of his safety when giving home tours.
“But you know to go back and look at security and what you do with people, I always stay behind them," he said. "You never go ahead of a person when you're showing a house [or] when you're at an open house [or] whatever the case may be. You always want to have them in sight."
Police say Baglione then turned the gun on himself.
“Having that passing of Soren is just something that’s taken our whole community, our association with a heavy heart," said Tanya Monroe of the Hampton Roads Realtor's Association.
Arn-Oelschlegel became a member of the H.R.R.A. in 2016, according to officials in the association. Dawn Kennedy, the association's C.E.O., and Monroe, who serves as board chairman, want to remind other realtors of safety measures.
“Share your schedule with a colleague, an assistant or a family member. Communicating safety concerns," said Monroe. "If you have a listing, make sure to have something just as basic as having great reception on your phone, not oversharing about your personal life and not hosting open houses alone."
“Don't park in the driveway that you're parked in. If you absolutely have to meet a client alone go talk to your neighborhood," said Kennedy.
Kennedy and Monroe said they hope police determine why the shooting happened.
Author's Note: The video below is on file for Sept. 15, 2021.