Start planning now for Realtor Safety Month in September by developing a safety program for your office or association. According to a NAR survey, 60% of real estate professionals have experienced a situation that made them fear for their safety. While only 4% have actually been victims, any number is unacceptable. Safety programs should teach personal safety and self-defense to mitigate risks. Resources for planning events can be found at the NAR website, including safety posters. When choosing an instructor, consider their experience working with real estate professionals to ensure they understand their needs and abilities.

1. Start Planning Now for Realtor Safety Month in September
Time flies, whether you’re ready or not. Have you made plans to protect your Realtors for crime and
violence on the job? If you answer “Yes,” give yourself a pat on the back and tell the boss you deserve a
raise. If you said “No,” let’s get started. Here are the three W’s for Realtor Safety Programs; Why, What
and Who.
Why should you have a safety program at your office or association? Maybe you don’t know of any
scary incidents in your area and have come to think your people are immune from danger. The reality is
you’ve probably been lucky and could be about due. The latest NAR survey found 60 percent of real estate
professionals experienced a situation that made them fear for their safety.
True, only about four percent have actually been victims. But don’t think that is in anyway an acceptable
number! There’s only a one in 4,068,434 chance an airliner will crash. Yet, every flight begins with safety
training. Because when an event can have a catastrophic, life-changing impact it just makes sense to be
prepared.
What kinds of events can you offer for safety month? You’ve got a lot of options. Start at
www.nar.realtor/topics/realtor-safety. Lot’s of good free resources you can use there. You can even get
CEUs if you present the NAR’s “Real Estate Safety Matters” class.
The Washington State Real Estate Safety Council has downloadable posters at www.warealtor.org/safety-
council/posters. See if you can get these posted in every real estate office’s break room in your area or
company.
Who should you get to present your safety program? A safety program that does not teach personal safety
and self-defense may actually increase the risks it is intended to mitigate. Providing training that does not
meet the needs of your audience won’t help either. Health clubs, martial arts studios, police departments,
and community colleges may offer classes. Often these require multiple training sessions, athletic ability
and/or physical strength. Martial arts training requires going to classes a few time a week for years to be
skilled enough to defend one’s self. Police officers are not always good teachers and often fail to
understand the needs and abilities of real estate agents as compared with fit, aggressive cops. But the NAR
has your back again. At www.nar.realtor/topics/realtor-safety there is a list of instructors they have vetted
for you. A Youtube review can help you find an instructor that fits your needs.
STOP READING HERE IF BLATANT SELF-PROMOTION OFFENDS YOU!
Okay, so I’m a personal safety, and self-defense speaker/trainer with 17 years of experience working with
real estate professionals. (Lot’s of great references available on request.) I use humor, demonstration and
audience participation to teach people to “Be prepared, not scared.” I do have some dates open in
September. I will be happy to work with you to customize a program that meets your needs and budget.
Contact me at 888 439-1411 or joe,rosner@usa.net