President Nichols: Make It Home

By David Nichols, 2026 KCRAR President

I never want to be interviewed on some random Thursday night because one of our agents was harmed.

I have said some version of that to the agents in my firm for years. These are people I know and care about. They have families, friends and people expecting them to come home. That matters far more to me than any transaction they will ever close.

All year, I have challenged us to do better and be better. That was the message I shared when I became your president, and it has carried through our conversations about professionalism, advocacy and leadership. September is REALTOR® Safety Month, and I want to take that conversation in a slightly different direction.

Because being better also means being more intentional about protecting ourselves and looking out for one another.

For a long time, I have understood that there is no transaction worth an agent’s health or life. There is no commission, no matter how large or how small, worth setting aside basic safety protocols.

We work in a profession where we regularly meet people we don’t know, enter vacant properties, work alone and travel to unfamiliar places. No app, tool or procedure can eliminate every risk. People can follow precautions and still be harmed. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t take the time to look honestly at how we work and where we may have become too comfortable.

Personally, I have never shown a home without first letting someone in my circle know where I am going, when I expect to be there and when they should expect to hear from me afterward. Just as importantly, that person should know what to do if the check-in doesn’t happen.

Technology has made staying connected easier, but it may have also made us a little too complacent. A location-sharing app can tell someone where your phone is. It cannot confirm that you are safe. And most of us who have raised a teenager can testify that the location of the phone does not necessarily tell you the location of the person.

Use the technology. But don’t let it replace a conversation with someone who knows where you’re going and is expecting to hear from you.

I have always been someone who tries to make lemonade from lemons. There has certainly been plenty of frustration surrounding the commission lawsuits and the resulting settlement. But I believe there is a positive opportunity in one of those changes: the requirement for MLS participants working with a buyer to have a written agreement before touring a home. Most of the discussion has focused on services and compensation. I see an opportunity to build safer habits, too.

In NAR’s 2024 Member Safety Residential Report, 40% of respondents said they had met a new or prospective client alone at a secluded location or property during the previous 12 months. That should make us pause. We should not be dropping everything and running out to meet a random stranger at a vacant house. We should know who we are meeting, have a real conversation and explain how we work before heading out the door.

The signature itself does not make us safer. What matters is how we use that conversation before the showing. A written agreement is not a substitute for verifying someone’s identity, meeting in a safe location or following our safety procedures. But it gives us a natural place to slow down and establish a professional relationship instead of rushing straight to a property.

If your own safety skills could use some attention, KCRAR has an opportunity for you. On Sept. 11, 2026, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., Krav Maga instructor Steve Woolridge will teach a hands-on safety class in the KCRAR Leawood classroom. Register online through the KCRAR Campus.

In NAR’s 2024 safety report, 66% of respondents who had participated in a REALTOR® safety course said they felt better prepared for unfamiliar situations afterward. Even those of us who have been doing this for years can benefit from a fresh look at how we work. Bring another agent from your office. Talk afterward about what you learned and what you need to change.

You can also visit NAR’s REALTOR® Safety page to read the full report and find videos, webinars and resources for developing your own safety plan. You don’t have to figure all of this out on your own. But you do have to take the time to use what is available.

REALTOR® Safety Month should be more than something we acknowledge on the calendar. It should prompt us to do something.

No showing is important enough to ignore your instincts. No client is so urgent that you cannot follow your safety procedures. And no commission is worth your health or your life.

There are people expecting you to come home. Let’s take that seriously.