A Personal Commitment to Safer Real Estate Practices

GAAR has taken the National Association of REALTORS® REALTOR® Association Safety Pledge, committing our Association to promoting safety through communications, education, governance, and action. Now, we encourage our REALTOR® members to make that commitment personal by taking the REALTOR® Safety Pledge themselves.

The pledge is more than adding your name to a list. It is a commitment to make safety part of the way you conduct business, from meeting a new client to preparing a listing for its first showing.

NAR's pledge asks REALTORS® to prioritize the well-being and safety of themselves, their colleagues, clients, customers, and industry partners. Members who take it commit to conducting business and prospecting activities in a reasonably safe manner, continuing their safety education, sharing best practices, and following NAR's safety recommendations, including the Safe Listings Form, to the best of their ability. 

Take the REALTOR® Safety Pledge

Safety Should Be Part of Your Routine

Real estate professionals routinely work in situations that require heightened awareness. You may meet someone for the first time, enter an unfamiliar or vacant property, host an open house, work alone, or travel to locations where cell service is limited.

NAR recommends developing a personal safety strategy that you follow every day, with every client. Recommendations include meeting new clients at an office or neutral public location, sharing your schedule with someone you trust, checking cell service before an appointment, communicating known property safety concerns, and avoiding hosting open houses alone. 

The REALTOR® Safety Pledge provides an opportunity to turn those individual tips into a larger commitment: make preparation part of your professional routine instead of something you think about only after a close call.

As a REALTOR®, my first priority is the well-being and safety of myself, my REALTOR® colleagues, the clients and customers we serve, and the business partners who foster our profession.

Therefore, I pledge to always conduct business and prospecting activities in a reasonably safe manner, which includes following the recommendations from the National Association of REALTORS® and adhering to the Safe Listings Form to the best of my ability.

I am committed to receive education and in turn to advise consumers and colleagues on best safety practices.

REALTORS® are committed to safety, and I take this pledge because I care about the wellbeing of myself, my clients and customers, my colleagues, and my profession.

Meet the Safe Listings Form

One important part of NAR's REALTOR® Safety Pledge is the Safe Listings Form, which is available directly from the pledge page. In fact, the REALTOR® Safety Pledge specifically asks members to adhere to the Safe Listings Form to the best of their ability. (National Association of Realtors)

The idea behind a safe listing is simple: consider potential safety issues before brokers and prospective buyers begin entering the property.

A property's characteristics can change the risks involved in showing it. NAR has identified several property conditions that can present safety concerns, including vacant properties, minimal interior or exterior lighting, electricity being turned off, remote locations with limited visibility from the road, and inconsistent cell service. NAR has even recommended that MLSs consider fields that allow these types of safety concerns to be communicated to real estate professionals. (National Association of Realtors)

Using the Safe Listings Form encourages you to make that assessment part of your listing process rather than relying on someone to discover a concern when they arrive for a showing.

Bring Safety Into the Listing Conversation

The Safe Listings Form also creates an opportunity to talk with sellers about safety from the beginning of your professional relationship.

Preparing a property for the market naturally includes conversations about photography, staging, showing instructions, access, valuables, schedules, pets, and other property-specific considerations. Safety deserves a place in that conversation too.

Think about what another broker should know before arriving. Is cell service unreliable? Is the property particularly isolated? Are there areas without adequate lighting? Is the electricity turned off? Will the property be vacant?

Communicating relevant information can give another real estate professional an opportunity to prepare before arriving. NAR specifically recommends sharing safety concerns associated with a listing as part of an everyday REALTOR® safety strategy. (National Association of Realtors)

A Safer Listing Benefits More Than the Listing Broker

Using a safety-focused listing process is not solely about protecting yourself.

A property may be visited by cooperating brokers, buyers, inspectors, appraisers, photographers, contractors, and other professionals throughout a transaction. Identifying potential concerns early can help everyone who enters the property make better-informed decisions.

It can also demonstrate to sellers that safety is part of professional property preparation. REALTORS® already help clients think through countless details before putting a home on the market. Adding safety to that checklist is one more way to approach the listing thoughtfully and professionally.

September Is the Reminder. Safety Is the Habit.

NAR dedicates September to REALTOR® Safety, but its broader REALTOR® Safety Program is designed to support members throughout the year through education, webinars, forms, tips, and other resources. NAR describes knowledge, awareness, and empowerment as the core components of its safety efforts. (National Association of Realtors)

Use REALTOR® Safety Month as an opportunity to examine your current practices. Take the pledge. Download the Safe Listings Form. Talk about safety with your clients and colleagues. Most importantly, develop a plan you can use consistently.

Safety should not depend on whether a situation feels risky after you arrive. A little preparation beforehand can make a very big difference.

Take the REALTOR® Safety Pledge and download the Safe Listings Form

Explore September's REALTOR® Safety resources