According to the NAR 2022 Member Safety Report:

While 23% of residential Realtors claim they have feared for their safety while on the job, 98% reported that they have never been the victim of a crime while at work.

Of the over 2,000 NAR members who were surveyed, 73% shared that they follow personal safety protocols when meeting with clients. Sixty-six percent say they meet new clients in their office or in other “neutral” locations.

Additionally, 43% of male Realtors carry a self-defense weapon of some kind, such as pepper spray, firearms or pocket knives. The number was notably higher among women, where 54% reported carrying self-defense weapons.

Forty percent of Realtors reported participating in a self-defense class, while 20% attended NAR-sponsored Realtor safety courses. Of the Realtors who participated in these safety courses, 75% reported feeling more prepared for unsafe situations after completing the course.

Below are some things to keep in mind while showing a home or holding an open house:

NOTHING IS WORTH YOUR LIFE

While you may want to grab your computer, phone, keys, etc. JUST RUN. Nothing is irreplicable except you.

Useful Safety Tech and Tools to keep you safe

Please remember that if you don’t know how to use it yourself, DONT CARRY IT. A knife, gun, or other self defense items can be wrestled away from you if your attacker knows how to use them. The best way to stay safe is give yourself an escape and/or call for help. Get yourself out of the situation as quickly as possible.

I keep this app on my front page of my phone as well as on my apple watch. Noonlight is America's No. 1 Safety App. It Silently summon help to your exact location with the tap of a button, saves details to your Timeline, like who, when, and where you're meeting, just in case anything happens, you can add friends to your Safety Network so they can make sure you never go missing, and you can connect Noonlight to other apps and devices for smarter, faster help in an emergency.

Keychain Alarm with GPS Location & Smart Emergency Notifications to Friends and Family - Self Defense Keychain

Open House Safety Tips

When holding an open house, there are many ways to give yourself additional safety. Here are a few tips I recommend.

• Arrive at the open house at least 30 minutes ahead of time. Keep the door locked as you set up the home (open the blinds, put out fliers and sign in sheet, etc). Get the open house fully ready in advance. Then leave while locking the home back up. Put out your open house signs starting from furthest away. This way you can show up to the home and have no distractions as people begin to arrive.

• Only have one entrance and exit if you can for visitors. This way you can keep track of people coming in and out. We don’t want someone coming in and hiding until the open house is over.

• Once the open house is done, immediately lock the doors before doing any closing up. After the open house is the most dangerous time for agents.

• Close AND check all windows to make sure they are locked. Some people will unlock a window and come back later to get into the home.

• Make sure there are NO MEDICATIONS in the home. People have been known to take these from open houses.

• Always keep a blanket in your car to cover your personal belongings. Out of sight, out of mind. Most people break into cars if they can see a bag, purse, or other valuable. Keep it secret… Keep it safe…

• Bring as few of your belongings into the open house. Leave the purse and computer bag in the car. The less you have with you, the less of a target you are.

• Make sure to have your keys and your phone ON YOUR BODY at all times. Get a carabiner and put it on your keys. Keep your phone on you at all times in case you need to make a quick exit. A fake phone call is also a great way to excuse yourself from an uncomfortable situation so you can take the “call” outside.

• Tell a trusted person where you will be and when you plan to leave. Text them when you arrive or when you leave. If they have not heard from you by a certain time, have them call the police.

Showing Safety Tips

• Whenever possible, meet the person you are showing homes to prior to showing them. Meet them in a public place and trust your gut. If anything is off, do not move forward with the showing. If you do choose to move forward, bring someone along with you and they can sit in the car.

• If you are meeting a potential buyer for the first time and the home is vacant, tell them you will be standing outside for safety purposes and for them to take their time. You will be there to answer any questions they have but do not let them bully or guilt you into entering the home. This is a big red flag and if they cannot respect your request, you will not work with them.

• Always knock even and especially if the home is vacant. Often vacant homes can be broken into and a squatter can be inside. Knock loudly before opening the door. Announce yourself loud and listen for any movement in the home. Should there be any evidence that the home has been broken into or something is not right, DO NOT ENTER THE HOME. Call the listing agent right away and have them call the police. If it is an immediate issue, call 911.