Due to their frequent contact with unfamiliar people in private locations, real estate agents face more on-the-job risks than many other business professionals. According to the most recent statistics from the National Safety Council, there were 57 violent crimes committed against real estate practitioners in 2001. Six of them were fatal.

In a recent NAR safety survey of REALTORS®, 67 percent of respondents have experienced safety concerns, incidents, or other harassing situations while working as a REALTOR®. A majority of issues involve open houses or vacant property. Other issues include unfriendly dogs, unsafe property, and threatening or harassing phone calls.