The short version: About 1 in 5 agents had a situation that made them fear for their safety, and open houses top the list of places agents feel least safe. Meet new clients at the office first, get a photo ID on file, share your location with a buddy, never host an evening open house alone, park where you can’t be blocked in, and leave whenever something feels wrong.
Real estate is one of the few jobs where meeting a stranger alone in an empty building is a normal Tuesday. Most days nothing happens. But “most days” isn’t a safety plan.
The numbers
According to summaries of NAR’s 2024 Member Safety Report:
- About 1 in 5 agents had a situation in the past year that made them fear for their safety or personal information, and women reported it about twice as often as men.
- Open houses topped the list of places agents felt least safe, ahead of showings.
- Most agents had shown property alone, and about 4 in 10 had met a new client alone at a secluded location.
- More than a quarter had no safety protocol at all.
Agents remember Beverly Carter, the Arkansas agent who was lured to a showing in 2014 and killed. Her case is why NAR’s safety push every September exists.
Before you meet anyone
- Meet new clients at the office first, not at a vacant listing.
- Get a photo ID on file. Texas’s 2026 rule requiring a written agreement before you show a buyer a home is a natural moment to verify who you’re working with.
- Share your location and your schedule with a buddy, and set a check-in time.
- Agree on a code word that means “call 911.”
At showings and open houses
- Park where you can’t be blocked in. Keep your keys and phone on you, charged.
- Let the visitor walk ahead of you, and stay between them and the exit.
- Don’t host an evening open house alone. Bring a lender, a colleague, or a friend.
- Walk the house before visitors arrive, unlock the back door, and know your exits.
- Use a real sign-in, and remember that for many buyers it’s now a signed agreement, not just a name on a pad.
- Never give out your home address. Use the office address on everything.
Trust your gut
If a call, a person, or a situation feels wrong, leave. Make an excuse, walk out, and call your broker from the car. Nobody at a good brokerage will ever question you for it. A lost showing can be rescheduled.
Sources
General information, not legal advice. TREC says I can’t practice law, and I like my license. Run your specific situation past your broker or a real estate attorney.
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