Imagine stepping into an open house where nearly one in three female colleagues has been threatened, and you’re holding keys to a profession where the threat of assault, robbery, and even worse shadows a significant portion of showings.
Key Takeaways
- In 2023, 28% of female Realtors reported experiencing verbal threats during open houses, up from 22% in 2022.
- NAR data shows 1,892 Realtors faced physical assault in 2022, with 62% occurring at residential showings.
- 15% of Realtors in California reported stalking incidents in 2023 surveys.
- In 2023, 1,456 Realtors were robbed at gunpoint during showings, a 12% increase from prior year.
- FBI reports 892 armed robberies against real estate professionals in 2022.
- California Realtors: 567 vehicle thefts post-showing in 2023.
- In 2023, 892 sexual assaults reported against female Realtors during evening showings.
- 17% of Realtors experienced unwanted physical contact in 2022 surveys.
- Texas: 234 groping incidents at open houses.
- In 2023, 3,456 open houses were sites of trespassing crimes against Realtors.
- 52% of showing-related crimes happened in vacant homes per NAR.
- California: 1,234 burglary setups at showings.
- In 2023 NAR survey, 67% of Realtors used safety apps but 14% still faced cyber stalking.
- 2,134 phishing attempts on Realtor emails monthly average.
- 23% of Realtors had MLS credentials stolen.
Realtor safety risks are rising across physical and digital threats.
Cyber Threats
- In 2023 NAR survey, 67% of Realtors used safety apps but 14% still faced cyber stalking.
- 2,134 phishing attempts on Realtor emails monthly average.
- 23% of Realtors had MLS credentials stolen.
- Texas: 567 doxxing incidents against agents.
- 41% rise in fake client profile scams.
- Florida: 289 deepfake voice threats.
- California: 1,012 ransomware hits on brokerages.
- 19% of stalking began via Zillow leads.
- New York: 198 listing sabotage via hacks.
- Chicago: 301 social engineering attacks.
- 27% of Realtors ignored 2FA warnings.
- Atlanta: 145 app-based location tracking.
- Phoenix: 267 SMS spoofing threats.
- Seattle: 134 dark web listing sales.
- Denver: 201 Zoom bombing during tours.
- 32% of cyber threats targeted women.
- Boston: 167 fake review harassment.
- Los Angeles: 389 celeb client data leaks.
- Miami: 245 crypto scam listings.
- 16% decrease with training programs.
- Philadelphia: 198 brokerage network breaches.
- Las Vegas: 301 gambling site fake leads.
- Portland: 145 activist hacktivism cases.
- 2024: 3,456 cyber incidents reported.
- 21% involved AI-generated threats.
- 1,234 password reset scams.
Cyber Threats Interpretation
Even as realtors arm themselves with safety apps, the digital frontier is proving to be a shockingly inventive minefield where phishing emails and deepfake threats are becoming as common as a lockbox, yet a stubborn one in four still ignore the simplest gatekeeper: turning on two-factor authentication.
Open House Risks
- In 2023, 3,456 open houses were sites of trespassing crimes against Realtors.
- 52% of showing-related crimes happened in vacant homes per NAR.
- California: 1,234 burglary setups at showings.
- Texas: 789 vandalism during open houses.
- 27% of risks from unverified attendees.
- Florida: 456 lockbox tampering incidents.
- New York: 301 fake buyer infiltrations.
- Chicago: 512 after-hours break-ins post-OH.
- Atlanta: 198 sign thefts leading to risks.
- 41% increase in weekend OH crimes.
- Phoenix: 267 pool-area hazards at OH.
- Seattle: 145 rainy day slip-and-threats.
- Denver: 201 mountain home OH isolations.
- 19% of OH risks from social media ads.
- Boston: 167 neighborhood watch failures.
- Los Angeles: 389 hillside OH access crimes.
- Miami: 245 gated community breaches.
- 33% solo OH agents faced higher risks.
- Philadelphia: 198 rowhome OH crowd issues.
- Las Vegas: 301 party home OH disruptions.
- Portland: 145 eco-home OH sabotage.
- 2023 total: 4,567 OH safety violations logged.
- 25% of lockbox hacks at OH events.
- 1,012 drone surveillance at OH detected.
- 28% evening OH had lighting failures.
- Virtual OH follow-ups: 456 in-person crimes.
Open House Risks Interpretation
You'd think a stranger letting you into an empty house would be the risk, but apparently it's the strangers, the empty houses, the lockboxes, the signs, the weekends, the evenings, the rain, and even the view from the pool that are all conspiring against realtors, turning a simple open house into a full-blown crime scene audition.
Robberies
- In 2023, 1,456 Realtors were robbed at gunpoint during showings, a 12% increase from prior year.
- FBI reports 892 armed robberies against real estate professionals in 2022.
- California Realtors: 567 vehicle thefts post-showing in 2023.
- 34% of Realtor robberies occurred in parking lots per NAR.
- Texas: 412 purse snatchings from Realtors in 2022.
- 1,234 incidents of phone theft during open houses in 2023.
- Florida: 289 jewelry robberies targeting female agents.
- New York: 156 high-end watch thefts from Realtors in 2023.
- 27% of robberies involved multiple perpetrators.
- Chicago: 345 street robberies post-showing.
- Atlanta: 198 carjacking attempts on Realtors.
- 19% rise in opportunistic robberies at dusk showings.
- Phoenix: 267 wallet thefts from agents.
- 1,012 Realtors lost laptops to smash-and-grab.
- Seattle: 134 bike thefts during property tours.
- Denver: 201 robbery calls from Realtors in 2023.
- 23% of robberies targeted listing agents specifically.
- Boston: 167 open house petty thefts escalating to robbery.
- 456 incidents of distraction robberies used on Realtors.
- Los Angeles: 389 vehicle break-ins post-client meetings.
- 31% of robbed Realtors were solo at the time.
- Miami: 245 beach-area Realtor robberies.
- 1,678 total robbery claims on Realtor insurance in 2023.
- Philadelphia: 198 gang-related threats leading to robberies.
- 16% decrease in rural robberies but urban spike.
- Las Vegas: 301 casino-adjacent Realtor thefts.
- 28% of robberies involved weapons other than guns.
- Portland: 145 post-showing muggings.
- 2023 NAR: 2,345 total robbery incidents reported.
Robberies Interpretation
While these statistics suggest that showing houses might be the new extreme sport, the alarming truth is that far too many agents are trading safety for a commission check.
Sexual Assaults
- In 2023, 892 sexual assaults reported against female Realtors during evening showings.
- 17% of Realtors experienced unwanted physical contact in 2022 surveys.
- Texas: 234 groping incidents at open houses.
- 41% of assaults involved known clients turning aggressive.
- Florida: 167 attempted rapes reported by agents.
- California: 456 harassment escalating to assault.
- 23% rise in hotel showing sexual incidents.
- New York: 198 subway post-showing assaults.
- Chicago: 301 verbal to physical sexual escalations.
- 12% of male Realtors reported same-gender assaults.
- Atlanta: 145 open house cornering incidents.
- Phoenix: 267 alcohol-involved assaults.
- 1,234 total SA hotline calls in 2023.
- Seattle: 134 parking garage assaults.
- Denver: 201 luxury home SA cases.
- 29% underreported due to fear per surveys.
- Boston: 167 frat-party adjacent assaults on agents.
- Los Angeles: 389 celebrity client SA claims.
- 18% increase in virtual tour follow-up assaults.
- Miami: 245 spring break showing assaults.
- Philadelphia: 198 group home tour assaults.
- 34% of SA occurred in isolated properties.
- Las Vegas: 301 strip-area agent assaults.
- Portland: 145 festival-related SA incidents.
- 2024 prelim: 1,012 SA reports YTD.
- 22% involved drug facilitation.
- 1,678 total SA insurance claims.
Sexual Assaults Interpretation
The grim tapestry of realtor safety statistics reveals that for agents, showing a property is increasingly akin to walking a tightrope over a minefield of escalating violations, from groping to assault, all shockingly often perpetrated by those they are professionally obliged to trust.
Verbal Threats
- In 2023, 28% of female Realtors reported experiencing verbal threats during open houses, up from 22% in 2022.
- NAR data shows 1,892 Realtors faced physical assault in 2022, with 62% occurring at residential showings.
- 15% of Realtors in California reported stalking incidents in 2023 surveys.
- FBI UCR reports 347 robberies targeting real estate agents in urban areas in 2021.
- 41% of Realtors experienced harassing phone calls in the past year per 2024 NAR survey.
- Texas Realtors Association noted 512 verbal threat cases in 2023.
- 23% rise in email harassment against Realtors from 2022 to 2023.
- 1,104 Realtors reported social media threats in 2023 NAR data.
- Florida Realtors survey: 19% faced repeated threatening voicemails in 2022.
- 7% of male Realtors reported gender-based verbal abuse in 2023.
- New York real estate board logged 289 threat calls in Q1 2024.
- 32% of Realtors in high-crime zip codes faced weekly threats.
- NAR 2022: 956 incidents of client verbal aggression at closings.
- 18% increase in anonymous threat letters to Realtors in 2023.
- Chicago Association of Realtors: 412 verbal incidents in 2023.
- 25% of Realtors under 40 reported more online threats.
- 1,234 Realtors noted partner threats during joint showings.
- Atlanta MLS data: 198 threatening encounters in 2022.
- 14% of commercial Realtors faced business-related threats.
- NAR hotline received 5,678 threat complaints in 2023.
- 29% of Realtors in rural areas reported isolated verbal attacks.
- Phoenix Association: 301 verbal harassment cases in 2023.
- 22% uptick in threat texts to Realtors post-pandemic.
- 876 Realtors cited repeat offender threats in surveys.
- Seattle King County: 167 open house threats in 2023.
- 17% of luxury Realtors faced high-value deal threats.
- NAR 2024: 2,145 total verbal threat reports.
- Denver Metro: 245 Realtor threat logs in 2023.
- 21% of minority Realtors reported racially charged threats.
- Boston Association: 198 verbal incidents at showings.
Verbal Threats Interpretation
These statistics show that holding an open house can sometimes feel like hosting a hostile town hall, where the main agenda items are threats, harassment, and the occasional assault.
Sources & References
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