An Industry in Crisis – Only weeks ago, a female REALTOR found herself in a fight for her life, and the life of her father. Yet, no comments from an Industry who foundation, it’s own members, are being forgotten.
REAL ESTATE VIOLENCE RISK ASSESSMENT – A study on the crime patterns that impact Real Estate Professionals.
**VIOLENCE AGAINST REALTORS®: An Industry in Crisis
A Patterned, Predictable, and Preventable
A Professional Publication by Street Safe Self Defence Training Company
By Rob Andress, SAS-AP – Violence Prevention Specialist & REALTOR® Safety Expert.
Introduction: An Industry in Crisis
Violence in the real estate industry is neither rare, random, nor unpredictable. It is a chronic, underreported, and entirely preventable occupational hazard. While official national statistics provide fragmented insight, a comprehensive review of
documented assaults, attacks, and homicides involving REALTORS® across Canada and the United States reveals this unmistakable truth: Violence against REALTORS® follows clear, repeating, behavioural patterns. According to the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA), 9.6% of Canadian REALTORS® have already been victims of crime while performing their job duties. But after working with more than 7,000 REALTORS®, and meeting far too many victims in our Industry across Canada, we know the issue is much deeper:
The real number is higher; our interactions with professionals make this very clear. The survey had low participation and did not include a breakdown of provincial or city, or town-specific impacts. The survey also lacked gender reference for clarity.
Every time we deliver “Know Thy Enemy, Prospect or Predator”, a reality, fact-based violence prevention education session, we meet victims. Not occasionally. Every time. One victim. Two victims. Sometimes three, all harmed, threatened, cornered, stalked, or intimidated, and in some cases worse, all in the duty of their jobs. These incidents remain hidden not because they are uncommon, but because Members have no safe, trusted, confidential means to report them, and because industry leadership has never been trained to recognize, understand, or address real violence. Rather, they rely
on their own misguided understanding, shaped by personal beliefs or digital influence from
TV shows or movies. (Factual Human Nature)
This publication provides a full-spectrum analysis of the motives behind attacks, the offenders and victims involved, the systemic vulnerabilities that put REALTORS® at risk. I am a registered Broker, and have been active in our Industry for close to four decades. I have also spent close to 10 years studying violence in the Real Estate Industry and
its impact on Canadian Members.
**SECTION ONE:
Motives Behind Attacks, The Four Dominant Patterns**
Across documented cases in Canada and the U.S., nearly every attack on a REALTOR® falls into four predictable categories. These motives align with behavioural science models of Social and Antisocial violence, which underpin modern, evidence-based violence-prevention training.
1. Resource-Driven Violence (Robbery & Theft)
Type: A-Social, outcome-driven, high risk
Targets: Phones, wallets, vehicles, prescription drug keys, valuables, jewelry. (One of the most brazen of these incidents shared with us was the homeowner’s cat).
Offenders commonly use showings and open houses to isolate REALTORS®, intending to commit robbery. These attacks unfold quickly, and often violently, especially if the Member resists, or, if the Member, based on false Industry indoctrination, believes they are responsible for the PROTECTION of property owners’ valuables, and confronts the Resource Criminal to put the stolen items back. The only outcome here is trauma,
not a heroic reward, but a life full of trauma for the Member.
Male REALTORS® are disproportionately targeted in these incidents. The reason is simple, Resource Predators have used violence their entire life to get what they want. Many of these individuals view the male as a challenge, an endorphin upload if you will. Many of these offenders enjoy the confrontation, the opportunity for dominance, and view men as more likely to fight and provide that feel-good emotion they lack in daily life. Especially if the Resource Predator suffers an XYY Chromosome, the warrior gene. With this biological factor, you’re facing a loaded shotgun. Yes, biology is a factor in human violence.
2. Sexual / Process Predation
Type: A-Social Process Predation
Targets: Predominantly female REALTORS®
Process predators present themselves as legitimate buyers or tenants and deliberately select vacant properties as controlled environments. These incidents have included sexual assault, attempted sexual assault, and, in the most tragic cases,
rape and homicide. The offender’s objective is not the property—it is domination, control, and fear.
A dangerous and widespread misconception among Members is this: “If the first appointment went well, I’m safe.”
That belief is false. Process predators do not reveal who they are at the first meeting. They maintain a mask of normalcy while building perceived trust. Only once a “safe” relationship is established does the risk escalate. During this period, the offender actively tests boundaries through language, proximity, and physical touch. Our data shows that these individuals commonly schedule multiple appointments. Most often, these crimes occur between the third and seventh meetings. This timeline allows the predator to conduct a full risk assessment of the target while acquiring a critical skill directly from the very Member they intend to attack: staging.
Staging is not accidental. It is learned, rehearsed, and deliberately applied to gain dominance and control. It has been present in every disclosed attack we have documented. One non-violent appointment does not equal safety. It simply means the assessment phase is still underway. More concerning is this: staging is rarely identified, discussed, or addressed in
existing REALTOR® safety guidance. It is not included as a core prevention or detection strategy.
Why? Because these crimes are still widely misunderstood, both in how they unfold and how they repeatedly present across the Industry
3. Intimate Partner or Known-Party Violence
Type: A-Social, often following coercive control patterns
Context: Predictable schedules and isolated locations become vulnerabilities
In cases involving intimate partners, ex-partners, or known individuals, including REALTOR / REALTOR Violence. REALTORS® become predictable targets. Public listings, scheduled showings, and solo site visits give violent partners easy access.
4. Dispute-Driven (Social) Violence That Turns A-Social
Transactional conflicts between Members, yes a topic our Industry refuses to discuss,
or even acknowledge.
Neighbour disputes, financial stress, relationship breakdown, and perceived disrespect frequently begin as Social violence, arguments, hostility, and ego-driven conflict. But when mishandled, ignored, or escalated, they often transition to:
A-Social retaliatory attacks, where the offender returns later, prepared, and acting with intent. This is not uncommon in Member-to-Member Violence. I am still perplexed as to how a “Self-Regulated Industry”, can register people to deal
with the two greatest causes of anxiety in our society, money and relationships, yet not
provide conflict management education to them
**SECTION TWO:
How Offenders Gain Access – The Four Relationship Patterns**
Across both countries, four offender-victim relationship categories dominate REALTOR® attacks:
- “Client” or Fake Prospective Buyer/Tenant
The most common scenario.
REALTORS® are trained to extend trust, be welcoming, and suppress discomfort, a professional culture predators exploit.
- Total Stranger With a Thin Pretext (We have no idea who they are, or what they want)
We make an assumption, we know what happens when we assume.
Open houses
Online inquiries with no verification
Walk-ins
Drive-by “interested buyers”
The industry normalizes contact with total strangers without screening or safety protocols.
- Intimate Partners and Ex-Partners
A well-established danger in industries with predictable, isolated routines. Real estate provides exactly that.
- Known but Non-Intimate Contacts
Former clients, acquaintances, or neighbours, typically in dispute contexts.
Money, property, and high emotional investment create fertile ground for violent escalation.
**SECTION THREE:
The Shared Threads Across Every Attack**
Despite differences in motive or relationship, nearly all REALTOR® assaults and homicides share six systemic vulnerabilities:
- Isolation: The Constant Variable in REALTOR® Attacks
Violence occurs when REALTORS® are: Alone in a vacant property
In rural or remote listings
Conducting evening/off-hour showings
Working without check-ins
Showing property to unknown parties
Isolation is the predator’s greatest advantage, and real estate provides it.
- Professional Trust Is Weaponized
A culture of:
Accommodation
Customer service
Non-confrontation
Hyper-servicing
Avoiding “awkwardness”
Ignoring instinct
Predators rely on REALTORS® suppressing their own discomfort.
- A Complete Lack of Safety Culture
There are no industry-wide requirements for: Client verification
Showing safety
Open house safety
Threat recognition training
Behavioural awareness
Environmental risk assessment
- Misunderstanding of Violence Dynamics
Most REALTORS®, and most industry leaders cannot distinguish between social and antisocial violence
Conflict vs. Predation
Emotion-driven aggression vs. outcome-driven intent Ambush attacks vs. heated disputes
This leads to delayed or unsafe decision-making.
- Gender-Based Targeting
Women: far higher risk of sexual predation, stalking, coercive control
Men: disproportionately targeted in robberies and disputes, often due to ego-driven reactions
Gender influences motive, isolation creates the opportunity.
- Leadership Is Untrained and Unaware
Executive Officers and Board leaders, most with zero training in violence prevention, often assume Members will voluntarily disclose the nightmares they lived to them:
Sexual assault
Harassment
Threats
Stalking
Fear
Boundary violations
Loss of control
But victims rarely disclose trauma to someone they do not trust, let alone intimately know. Thus: Boards believe violence is rare. And nothing changes.
**SECTION FOUR:
Industry Misconceptions That Increase Member Risk**
- Safety Apps Are NOT Safety Tools
The industry widely promotes:
REALTOR® safety apps.
Location-sharing apps.
“Check-in” apps
Panic-button apps
Let us be clear:
Safety apps do not change offender behaviour.
Safety apps do not prevent violence.
Safety apps create false confidence.
Calling them “safety tools” is not only misleading — it increases risk.
- Outdated and Dangerous Safety Recommendations
Many Boards, including Provincial and National Leadership still push recommendations that actually increase exposure to targeted crime, including:
Check-in calls
Having a full tank of gas
Having a charged cell phone
Meeting in public as a substitute for screening
Relying on ID checks as “verification”
These outdated notions must be removed immediately.
- Ego and Online Confrontations
Some Members have taken to calling out predators publicly online when uncomfortable messages or phone calls are received. The Member classifies these individuals as creeps, and in some cases posts the aggressor’s profile with name on open social media platforms.
This is not bravery, it is provocation, and due to the lack of understanding the motivation of these individuals, some will make it a short-term goal to actually meet you, just to test your ability and resolve
These offenders Have used violence successfully for years
Do not fear public shaming
Respond to disrespect with retaliation
And view this victim ego induced behavior as nothing more than a willing challenge. Often score high in the A-Social category of violence dynamics
Ego is getting REALTORS® hurt.
**SECTION FIVE:
The Industry’s Turning Point, What Must Change Now**
If Canadian real estate leadership is serious about protecting Members, change must begin immediately. These are not suggestions; they are requirements.
- Mandatory, Industry-Wide Violence Prevention Training
Not the round-table theory, from unqualified individuals who do not understand violence. Not untrained volunteers.
Not “safety month” webinars.
REAL training delivered by qualified experts must include:
Social vs. A-Social Violence
Behavioural analysis
Predatory behaviour recognition
Early threat detection
Boundary setting
Conflict management
Situational & environmental awareness, Safe operation practices (Awareness)
Force De-escalation Training Case study scenarios
- End the Promotion of Safety and Location Apps as Primary Tools
Technology may assist after an incident, finding the injured Member, but it does not prevent one
- Implement a Confidential Crime Reporting System
Members must be able to safely report: Assaults
Threats
Stalking
Intimidation
Harassment
Near misses
Without fear of judgment or exposure.
- Removal of Safety Recommendations That Increase Risk
Policies must be evidence-based, not liability-driven, or based on crimes that members don’t even face. Opportunistic Crime is rare, although all recommendations are based on preventing the very Crime members don’t face
Build a Real Safety Culture
A culture built on:
Transparency
Accountability
Education
Early reporting
Behavioural awareness
Not silence, shame, politics, or assumptions.
No more silence. I have heard their stories, their fear, their trauma, seen the tears running down their face and heard their close calls. I have even heard victims ask me “why did no one tell me this could happen to me”?
Violence is happening, and the industry is unprepared to address it
As we continue to train and educate Members across Canada, reviewing reported cases and working firsthand with victims, one truth is undeniable:
Violence against REALTORS® is patterned, predictable, and preventable. The industry does not need more apps, posters, or slogans.
It needs:
Real education.
Real prevention.
Real leadership.
Real safety culture.
Street Safe Self Defence Training Company will continue to educate members and lead the conversation to address errors and misunderstandings surrounding violence in our industry. We continue to push for the structural change REALTORS® urgently deserve.
Good people who are woefully unprepared for the risks this job poses.