The National Association of Realtors Marketing Research Department has conducted an online "Safety Survey" for members to find out Realtors' experiences with personal safety while on the job. Out of over 4,337 respondents, over half reported experiencing safety concerns, incidents, or harassing situations while working as a Realtor.

The overwhelming response, over 70 percent from female Realtors, constitutes a "better response than we've ever had on any other survey," said a spokesperson, demonstrating that agent safety is top of mind with Realtors.

One in four Realtors has personally experienced incidents or harassing situations while working as a Realtor, and forty percent say they know of other Realtors who have been involved in safety incidents or harassing situations while working as a Realtor. At the opposite extreme, says the survey, 18 percent do not have safety concerns while on the job.

To view the PDF file of the report, click here.

According to the report, most incidents reported by participating Realtors involved "open houses" or showings of vacant property. Open house concerns range from assault, robbery, sexual harassment, and theft of homeowner items such as prescription drugs. Vacant home safety concerns include threats posed by squatters, vandals, rapists and violent criminals.

What raises concerns are a number of factors including:

• Unexpected individuals who show up at an appointment
• Harrassment while working alone
• Unfriendly dogs
• Unsafe property conditions that could cause injury such as icy walkways, stairs
• Threatening calls from individuals based on the agent's photo on 'for sale' signs or business cards
• Being asked to come alone to a showing

For these reasons, the NAR has appointed a series of initiatives to help inform Realtors of safety options and raise awareness of safety issues. The NAR has appointed a Realtor Safety Initiative Team to help plan and execute a number of initiatives including the launch of Realtor Safety Week during the week of September 14-20, 2003. Among the most anticipated products the NAR will provide members is a Safety Kit which will be mailed to state associations and their AEs the week of Realtor Safety Week.

The Team is also planning a series of press releases, columns, NAR leadership editorials and speeches, banner ads, field guides on leading Realtor publications both online and print, association publications, Webpages, e-mail alerts, and out-of-industry promotion of Realtor Safety Week to consumer publications and NAR partners. The Team will also work to contribute statistical data and information to further research into Realtor safety.

According to the survey, most Realtors would like to turn to their associations or the NAR for information on safety. Eighty-six percent of associations say they provide information on safety. Curiously, 82 percent also say that they do not provide agent safety information from the Internet, a situation the NAR would like to improve with information and sources that can be accessed from the Internet. Over half of associations do not have procedures in place for reporting incident aasociated with Realtor safety, most probably due to lack of incidents reported to the associations.

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