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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Published: June 27, 2003

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Blanche Evans is the award-winning senior editor of Realty Times, the Internet's leading independent real estate news service. She is featured daily on the Realty Times Video Network in the "Realty Viewpoint" segment. Blanche has been named one of the "25 Most Influential People In Real Estate" by REALTOR Magazine, and has been twice recognized as a "notable." In 2005, she was named "Top Reporter Covering the NAR" by Delahaye-Bacon's. Blanche is a renowned author of five real estate books. Her newest, Bubbles, Booms and Busts: Make Money In Any Real Estate Market, McGraw-Hill, was rave-reviewed by The New York Times. She was also selected from hundreds of real estate experts to contribute to Donald Trump's book, Trump: The Best Real Estate Advice I Ever Received: 100 Top Experts Share Their Strategies, Rutledge Hill Press, and is featured on page 68. Order Now Review - Honors In 2006, Blanche was selected among scores of candidates to author two consumer real estate guidebooks for the National Association of Realtors: The NAR Guide to Home Buying, and The NAR Guide to Home Selling, Wiley & Sons. She is currently planning two new books for the NAR and its members.       Known for her keen insight into real estate industry issues and for her ability to make complex subjects easy to understand, Blanche is a sought-after keynote and continuing education speaker. Real estate organizations from MLSs, to brokerages, to franchisors, to associations hire her to provide up-to-the-minute analysis of real estate industry news and advice on how to improve revenues. Her passionate delivery, peppered with stinging wit, is a huge hit with audiences and fans. Don Klein, CEO Greater Nashville Association of Realtors, Blanche Evans, Richard Courtney, president 2007, GRAR "The GNAR membership meeting last week featured Blanche Evans as the keynote speaker. Her comments and insights resonated extremely well with those in attendance and we have had many requests for copies of her PowerPoint Presentation. She was a terrific part of the membership meeting and convention program!" - Don Klein, CEO Greater Nashville Association of Realtors Coverage from WSMV, Nashville - 8-14-2007 That Interview Guy - Get Inside The Head Of Today's Generation 2007 AE Institute Session - To purchase 2006 AE Institute Session - Parts 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 HouseValues Mastermind call - Parts 1 2 Blanche's fireside chat with Jeremy Conaway, HAR - Click here. To contact Blanche, email her at . For more articles by Blanche, click here.