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Real estate is an inherently dangerous industry. That classic point of tension, the independent contractor relationship, sets the stage. Efforts to take a team or office approach to safety are often discouraged because many agents take a highly secretive or confidential approach to their work. Broker efforts to institutionalize safety programs and safeguards can fall on deaf ears in a world where independence and production is often cherished over personal safety.

The fact that the vast majority of agents will visit a property, without pause, in response to a call from a perfect stranger provides a recipe for danger. Some progress has been made requiring unknown individuals to show up with appropriate identification at the office before a showing. However, the majority of these interactions still occur as agents attempt to accommodate a last minute opportunity within an already busy schedule, giving rise to the suspension of safety rules in the face of a possible good lead. The fact that many would be criminals offer the perfect story only makes the situation worse.

Even one of the most common activities of Realtors® is fraught with danger. To the criminal mind an “Open House” sign is a synonym for “a building full of personal treasures with a guard detail of one who just may be distracted.” Consequently open houses provide the opportunity for actions that can threaten Realtors®.

More than half of the 4,400 Realtors® (70 percent female) who responded to a recent NAR survey indicated that they have experienced safety concerns, incidents and other harassing situations while in the course of performing their jobs. More than 40 percent reported personal knowledge of a safety related situation that impacted another Realtor®. While accounts of harassment are sometimes shared with fellow agents, the full extent of the problem is probably underreported.

It is critical that brokers raise the issue to their agents every day in many ways. One recalls the popular 1980s television series, “Hill Street Blues” in which Sergeant Phil Esterhaus always ended the daily briefing with the warning, “Let’s be careful out there.”

A number of other Realtor® contacts also lend themselves to dangerous connections.
• Individuals who show up unexpected for office appointments
• Situations that arise when agents are working alone in the office
• Dogs encountered in the course of duties
• Unsafe conditions on properties being shown

For the brokerage community, Realtor® safety must be constantly addressed. The concerns, hype and fears must be reduced to clear, concise and enforced office policies that address each of the dangers discussed above.

The keyword for these polices must be “common sense.” Policies regarding safety do not have to equate to interference with the independent contractor relationship. They do however have to reflect the fact that the brokerage’s concern goes beyond individual agents to the agent panel and the company as a whole.

While many firms will want their safety policies to reflect the uniqueness of their marketplace, there are a number of well-reasoned and manageable safety policies available for the asking. Certainly these “canned” policies can at least serve as a starting point.

Education about and enforcement of these policies must become an important part of executive and management responsibilities. Violations of safety polices must have consequences. If this approach sounds parental, then so be it. The loss of a member of the company family to criminal behaviors has a long reaching effect on everyone in the firm.