Top 7 safety risks for real estate agents — and how to avoid them

Real estate can be a dangerous profession. There are safety risks everywhere. Sales professionals meet strangers in vacant houses. Properties may be in isolated, rural locations. Not to mention, agents often portray images of wealth and success, which makes them targets.

Let’s dive into the top safety risks real estate agents face — and how to avoid them.

7 safety risks for real estate agents

1. Showing dangers

Personal attacks, with intent to rob, sexually assault or harm are, unfortunately, all too common. 

• This past June, a Kentucky man attacked, beat and held a real estate agent at knifepoint because he wanted her to “sign over” the house she was showing.
• In July, a Mississippi man sexually assaulted and robbed a salesperson at her open house.
• And in 2019, a 25-year-old woman lured a real estate agent to a fake showing, where the salesperson was then kidnapped and murdered.

So how do you stay safe?

Safety tips: Know your customer or client. Do not meet strangers in vacant houses. The first meeting should be at the office or in a public place. Get a copy of their driver’s license and their prequalification paperwork. Share your calendar with your spouse or colleagues, so they can track your appointments. 

2. Open houses

Open houses present a danger as the door literally is open to attract anyone driving by. The dangers include risks to the agent’s personal safety, but also risks to the property.

Thieves often run open house scams in groups, bringing multiple people through the house to distract the agent and pull their attention away from the individuals sent to look for valuables to steal — money, jewelry, medications or more. 

Safety tips: Ask sellers to remove or lock up valuables during showings and open houses. Never do an open house alone. Ask another agent to attend or invite a lender. Ask consumers to sign in. Tell them that the seller requires this before they can view the house. Before leaving, double-check windows and doors to be sure nobody has unlocked them. 

3. Agent ID theft

ID theft can happen to anyone, in any profession. But real estate salespeople are especially at risk as we are so good at marketing and promoting ourselves online. That’s a good thing — but also dangerous. 

Once someone has key data about you, they can attempt to drain your bank account, open up credit cards or apply for a mortgage. Thieves may try to get medical procedures using your insurance or sell your information on the dark web so others can profit.

Safety tips: Use strong passwords and do not reuse your passwords on multiple sites. Enable multifactor authentication (MFA) to add an extra layer of security. Only use secure networks, and never click on links that come to your email or phone unless you verify the source. Do not publish sensitive information on your socials.

4. Client data

Agents often collect or have access to social security numbers, copies of driver’s licenses, pay stubs or tax returns and more. There are serious obligations to safeguard any data or documents an agent keeps in the file, whether physical or in the cloud. 

Safety tips: Use strong, unique passwords with MFA on all accounts. Use a company-generated email, which should be safer than a personal account. Install antivirus and anti-malware software on your computer, and always back up your files in a safe location. Have a plan on how long to hold files and securely destroy them when no longer required.

5. Wire fraud

Wire fraud costs clients hundreds of millions of dollars each year. The typical scenario unfolds right before a closing. A buyer is sent a text or email that appears to come from either their agent or the closing company. The message indicates that it is urgent and the person must wire funds immediately to be sure the closing is not delayed. The buyer sends the money, and it is gone. Forever. 

Safety tips: Educate buyers never to accept that an email or text to wire funds is legitimate. Check with the title company (call their published number) prior to wiring. 

6. Listing risks

Sellers (both real and fake) pose their own risks. Buyers are not the only ones who may want to target you personally. Make sure you know who the owner is and who you are meeting at the house.

There has been an increase in fraudulent seller scams, especially when tied to vacant land listings with out-of-state “owners.” These scams often involve a person impersonating a seller to sell a property illegally. 

Safety tips: Always validate the identity of the person you are meeting or dealing with online. Obtain the driver’s licenses of all sellers for the file, and ensure that the names match exactly the names on the property’s public records. Research the property records and verify all contact information. 

7. Workplace violence

All of the above threats to an agent’s safety included strangers targeting agents, threatening their personal safety, their online presence or their financial safety. Danger can also be in the office (an internal threat within your office) or an angry consumer (buyer, seller or person walking in off the street). Workplace violence is a huge issue in our society, and it can happen in any industry and in any town. 

Safety tips: Your brokerage should have safety protocols in place. If an agent is alone in the office – nights, weekends or during the day when everyone else is out to lunch or off – the front door should be locked. Consumers can call the office to make an appointment. 

This article outlines seven of the top safety concerns for real estate agents today. There are many more safety tips that could be covered that we did not touch on. Agents can take personal safety training classes and learn how to defend themselves if attacked. Some may choose to proactively arm themselves and learn how to shoot and carry a gun legally and safely.

Brokers should train their agents how to recognize cyber criminals and protect themselves (and their clients) from scammers. Associations should offer lunch-and-learns and classes on safety protocols. 

It is up to you — each one of us — to educate ourselves on the dangers and risks involved in selling real estate. Be prepared to protect and defend yourself and your client’s property and data.

Nobody expects that this could happen to them. That’s what the bad guys are counting on. Be prepared. Educate yourself on these seven safety risks for real estate agents and your clients on the dangers out there.

This article was updated Dec. 10, 2025.