‘It’s safer not to go out alone’ - real estate agents express concern over safety in wake of Bao homicide

Safety is now the biggest concern for real estate agents across the country after the disappearance of Yanfei Bao.

"It was unbelievable, and the industry is shocked," says Erum Ali, who handles residential and lifestyle sales with Bayleys in Auckland. "We're now being told by our family and friends to be careful when we're out showing houses and talking to people."

Ali has generally felt safe working in the industry over the past two years but suspects that real estate agents are going to change the way they operate because of Bao's disappearance.

"This is going to change the way we work, especially with door-knocking," she says.

Ali has been instructed by her company to work in pairs with a colleague if she is out on business.

"Door-knocking is something we can't avoid," Ali says. "It's really important for us to meet the community."

She says hours aren't typically set in stone in her line of work.

"This is the only industry where you can't work from 9am in the morning to 5pm, Monday to Friday," she says. "There are times when you get quick offers and, regardless of the time we have, to run and pick up offers."

Safety is the number one concern, she says.

"We have a 19-year-old young agent and the moment we heard the news we told her not to go inside any house unless she's going with another agent," Ali says. "It's safer not to go out alone, especially if you're new to the industry."

Real estate agent Bhethnee Kaur agrees that no corner should be cut when it comes to work safety.

"It is a massive concern," says Kaur, owner of Century 21 Excellence Real Estate in Epsom.

Kaur has been in the industry for more than 20 years. She has grown up in New Zealand and says she has never encountered this sort of concern over personal safety before.

"I was shocked," she says when asked about Bao's disappearance. "She was just doing her job to feed her family."

Kaur says her colleagues always work in teams, especially at open houses and when they go door-knocking.

"This is not the New Zealand where I grew up," Kaur says. "We were kind and friendly."

Kaur wants stricter rules from the Real Estate Authority on safety for real estate agents, arguing that stricter laws need to be implemented to protect women.

But Belinda Moffat, chief executive of the authority, says safety is already a top priority for real estate agencies.

"There are precautions and protocols, including use of technology and communication systems, that agencies may apply to mitigate some risks and support safety," Moffat says. "Approaches will be tailored to the work and environment in which people are operating."

Moffatt says the authority will "consider how messages and guidance around safety might be reiterated and reinforced in due course", but is now focusing on doing all it can to support the police investigation into Bao's disappearance.

Deep Kaur, a real estate agent with Harcourts who has worked in South Auckland for four years, has some concerns about safety in the industry but feels she doesn't have much choice except to continue working.

"I need to work and pay my mortgage," Kaur says.

"I feel like there are some disadvantages for female agents," she says. "It's like I'm back in India and that's unacceptable."

Aishwarya Kaushal, a real estate agent at Harcourts Topline in New Windsor, says her team is likely to be more cautious following the homicide announcement on Wednesday, especially with door-knocking.

"I've never been comfortable with door-knocking but when I heard that it's a common practice here in New Zealand, I was like I need to blend in," Kaushal says.

Kaushal echoes Ali's concerns about working outside of ordinary business hours.

"I have people calling me at midnight, even though I'm not comfortable with it," she says. "You have to deal with it."

If she doesn't, she says, she fears the business opportunity might be lost.

Harcourts real estate agent Sunnie Wang has been door-knocking to find new clients for about three years.

She wasn't initially worried about continuing to be engaged in such activities after Bao was first reported missing, because her team generally follows a few basic guidelines.

"Door-knocking is a daily routine for me and my colleagues," Wang says. "We always keep a safe distance in front of people's doors. Most people are nice to me, but a few can be rude."

After Bao's disappearance, Wang has been careful to share her work schedules with her colleagues and family, including open home viewings and appointments with clients. Her manager has instructed her to always door knock with a colleague, prioritizing safety over anything else.

"My manager has asked me to text her once I've finished work (outside of the office) and have arrived home safely," Wang says.

Andy Liu, a real estate agent for Harcourts Titanium Manukau, says Chinese realtors have moved away from door-knocking activities in recent years in favor of other tactics such as referrals by known contacts, networking at church events and utilising social media platforms such as WeChat.