Only local police or the RCMP have the authority to activate a Realty Watch fan-out.

A Realty Watch fan-out is a simultaneous paging or text messaging of REALTORS® across the Lower Mainland.

If you or someone you know thinks that a Realty Watch fan-out may benefit a situation involving a missing family member or friend, you need to contact the police in your jurisdiction.

REALTOR® fan-outs are for emergencies involving immediacy — they are only activated within hours to a maximum of a few days of someone being reported lost or missing.

Only police can determine if a Realty Watch fan-out is an appropriate response.

REALTORS® receive fan-out requests from police for these reasons:

• Abductions or attempted abductions of children or adults (Realty Watch is a partner agency of Amber Alert)
• Missing or lost children or adults
• Life-threatening situations when a person or a vehicle could pose an immediate danger to the public

Thankfully, fan-outs are quite rare. Realty Watch receives on average 6 to 12 fan-outs per year.

If REALTORS® see or hear anything that could assist police with the fan-out, they call 911. They remain on the lookout until they receive a page canceling the fan-out, usually within 24 hours.

The Realty Watch fan-out network is active throughout British Columbia’s Lower Mainland and includes Greater Vancouver, the Sunshine Coast, Gulf Islands, Whistler and surrounding areas, Fraser Valley and Chilliwack and district.