Tether RE

The Safety Numbers Every REALTOR® Should Know

Federal data, industry research, and the statistics that explain why screening is where safety starts, not where it ends.

Sources verified July 2026. Updated when new data is released.

of crimes end in a conviction

A background check searches conviction records. Out of every 100 crimes committed, roughly 2 produce one. That is the entire database.

Baughman, "How Effective Are Police?", 72 Alabama Law Review 47 (2020)

NAR 2024 Member Safety Report

What agents are reporting about safety

22%

of REALTORS® experienced a situation that made them fear for their personal safety or personal information

NAR, 2024 Member Safety Residential Report

25%

of women report fearing for their safety on the job, more than double the 12% rate among men

NAR, 2024 Member Safety Residential Report

The moments that matter

Where REALTORS® say they felt afraid

NAR asked members to name the situations where they feared for their safety. The top answers are the moments an agent is alone with a stranger and unmonitored.

26%

during a showing

NAR, 2024

25%

during an open house

NAR, 2024

22%

meeting a new client at a secluded property

NAR, 2024

34%

felt unsafe at vacant properties with poor or no phone coverage

NAR, 2024

"Because she worked alone."

The stated reason Beverly Carter was targeted and killed while showing a property in 2014. Her case led Arkansas to mandate annual safety training for every licensed agent.

The criminal justice funnel

Why a background check sees only a fraction of actual risk

A conviction-based background check can only surface what was reported, then solved, then charged, then convicted. Most crime never makes it that far.

~55%

of violent crimes are never reported to police

Bureau of Justice Statistics, Criminal Victimization 2023

56%

of reported violent crimes are never cleared by arrest

FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2024 (43.8% clearance rate)

~11%

of serious crimes result in an arrest

Baughman, 72 Ala. L. Rev. 47 (2020)

~2%

end in a conviction. This is the entire slice a background check can search.

Baughman, 72 Ala. L. Rev. 47 (2020). Share of crimes, not of offenders.

Why Tether RE does not stop at pre-screening

What covers each part of the appointment

Screening is essential, and Tether RE includes it. But the moments agents name as most dangerous happen after the screening report has been delivered.

The pre-screening column reflects what tools in that category publish in their own product documentation.

Capability	Pre-screening	Tether RE
Before the Appointment
Identity verification by phone number	✓	✓
Reverse address and household search	✓	✓
Criminal conviction search	✓	✓
Sex offender registry check	✓	✓
Financial records (liens, judgments, bankruptcies)	✓	filtered by design
During the Appointment
Safety timer starts automatically on arrival	×	✓
Manual panic or SOS alert	×	✓
Silent duress alert	×	✓
Impact and struggle detection	×	✓
Live GPS location during the appointment	×	✓
If Something Goes Wrong
Alerts personal emergency contacts	×	✓
24/7 professionally staffed monitoring center	×	✓
Escalation to local emergency dispatch	×	✓
Open House Coverage
Coverage for an open house in progress	×	✓
Agent Productivity
Mileage tracking	×	✓
AI expense tracking	×	✓
Agent productivity portal	×	✓
Data and Privacy
Not a consumer reporting agency	✓	✓
Lookup and member data never sold	?	✓
Deployment as a Member Benefit
Association, MLS, and brokerage funded	✓	✓
Single year contracts available	?	✓

✓ documented × outside stated scope ? not publicly stated

Every number on this page

Sources

Every statistic is linked to its original publication. We update this page when new data is released.

NAR

National Association of REALTORS®, 2024 Member Safety Residential Report, September 2024

DOJ

Bureau of Justice Statistics, Criminal Victimization, 2023 (NCJ 309335)

FBI

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Crime Data Explorer, Reported Crimes in the Nation 2024

Academic

Baughman, S.B., "How Effective Are Police? The Problem of Clearance Rates and Criminal Accountability," 72 Alabama Law Review 47 (2020)

Safety from Contact to Close

Tether RE provides screening, real-time monitoring, and live emergency dispatch for every appointment. Ask how your association can offer it as a member benefit.

Learn about Tether RE