September is REALTOR® Safety Month, which makes this a good time to talk about something that can easily get pushed aside when schedules are full, phones are ringing and another showing has been added to the day. Real estate is a people business, and much of our work involves meeting people we do not know in properties and locations where we may be completely alone. It is such a normal part of the profession that we can sometimes forget just how unusual that would be in almost any other line of work.

The numbers remind us why this conversation is important. According to the National Association of REALTORS®’ 2024 REALTORS® and Member Safety Residential Report, 22% of residential agents reported experiencing a situation that made them fear for their personal safety or the security of their personal information. That means nearly one in four residential agents surveyed has experienced a moment when an ordinary workday suddenly did not feel so ordinary.

Consider a typical day from the REALTOR®’s perspective. A prospective buyer may call, text or send an online inquiry after seeing a property, and within a short period of time an agent could be driving to meet that person at a vacant home. We routinely show properties in rural areas, walk through vacant houses, hold open houses where members of the public can enter and work during evenings and weekends. These activities are simply part of serving our clients, but they also make personal safety an issue our profession cannot afford to treat casually.

Technology has made it easier than ever for consumers and REALTORS® to connect, but convenience can sometimes move faster than caution. When a potential client can reach an agent instantly through a website, social media or text message, there can be pressure to move immediately to the showing. Taking a few minutes to know who you are meeting and establish basic information before an appointment is both a reasonable business practice and an important safety precaution.

We also have technology that can work in our favor. As members of the TN/VA Regional MLS, we have access to FOREWARN, a valuable resource that can help verify the identity of an unfamiliar prospect before a face-to-face meeting. With as little as a phone number, FOREWARN can provide information that may help us make better-informed decisions before meeting someone at a property. No technology can guarantee that someone is safe or replace good judgment, but when a resource like this is available to us, we should make use of it as part of our normal business practices.

Whenever possible, an initial meeting at the brokerage office or another public location gives both the REALTOR® and the prospective client an opportunity to become acquainted before walking into a property together. Verifying identification and confirming contact information are sensible precautions, while normal buyer qualification procedures can provide additional information before an agent commits to a private showing. None of these steps guarantees safety, which is why awareness and good judgment remain important throughout the relationship.

Consumers should understand these practices as well. When a REALTOR® asks a new client for identification, suggests meeting at the office first or takes other reasonable precautions before a private showing, the goal isn’t to make buying a home more difficult. REALTORS® have a responsibility to consider their own safety while also protecting the homeowners who have entrusted us with access to their property.

There are also simple habits that can make a difference once we arrive at a showing. REALTORS® should pay attention to where they park so their vehicle cannot easily be blocked, keep their phones and keys accessible and remain aware of exits while walking through a home. Allowing clients to walk ahead rather than following them into confined spaces can help an agent remain aware of the surroundings. Just as importantly, someone else should know where the REALTOR® is going, who they are meeting and approximately when the appointment is expected to end.

Open houses require the same attention because their purpose is to invite members of the public into a property, often with little or no advance information about who may attend. Knowing the home’s layout and exits beforehand, keeping personal belongings secure, checking in with the office and, whenever possible, having another person present are sensible precautions.

Preparing for safety should become as routine as turning on the lights, placing the signs and making sure the home is ready for visitors.

Perhaps one of the most important parts of REALTOR® safety is learning to trust our own judgment. Real estate professionals are accustomed to being accommodating, responsive and helpful, and sometimes our desire to provide excellent service can make us reluctant to cancel an appointment, change plans or leave a situation that doesn’t feel right. There is nothing unprofessional about choosing caution when circumstances cause concern, and there should never be pressure to put a potential transaction ahead of personal safety.

Brokerages have an important role in creating that mindset. Safety should be discussed regularly rather than treated as a page in an office policy manual that everyone reads once and forgets. Offices can establish procedures for meeting new clients, showing vacant properties, conducting open houses, working after hours and checking in with agents who are working alone. Experienced REALTORS® can also help newer professionals develop good habits early in their careers so safety becomes part of the way they conduct business from the beginning.

We also need to look out for one another. If a fellow REALTOR® is heading to an isolated property late in the day or meeting an unfamiliar client, checking on them afterward takes very

little effort. When something concerning happens, communicating appropriately with a broker or others who need to know may help prevent another real estate professional from encountering the same situation.

REALTOR® Safety Month gives our profession an opportunity to look at the habits that have become routine and ask whether we are doing everything reasonably possible to protect ourselves and one another. The purpose isn’t to make REALTORS® fearful of doing the work we enjoy, but rather to make awareness, preparation and communication as routine as checking the MLS, confirming an appointment or opening a lockbox.

We spend our careers opening doors for other people and helping families find places to call home. Taking a few extra minutes before an appointment, using the resources available to us and looking out for our fellow REALTORS® are small steps that can make a meaningful difference. At the end of every showing, open house and workday, making sure we safely return to our own homes should always be one of the most important responsibilities we have.

NAR’s published safety guidance specifically emphasizes vetting new contacts, meeting in public, sharing your location and working in pairs when appropriate, so the overall recommendations in the column track closely with national guidance. (National Association of REALTORS®)