Product Overview

This Real Estate Safety Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS) is designed to identify hazards, implement controls, and protect agents and staff during property inspections, open homes, and auctions. It is a comprehensive, real-estate-specific document that addresses multiple aspects of Real Estate Safety SWMS to support robust WHS compliance across all your property-related activities.

Activities & Specific Tasks Covered

This document includes specific risk controls for:

• Agent-assisted tours, including safe procedures for guiding clients through properties and common areas
• Approaching property owners unexpectedly, with protocols for communication, verification, and personal safety
• Attending home auctions at uncertain or unfamiliar locations, including pre-visit risk assessment and emergency planning
• Conducting frequent open house viewings while managing fatigue, repetitive tasks, and security of both people and property
• Dealing with uncooperative or aggressive tenants during inspections, including conflict de-escalation and withdrawal procedures
• Directing vehicle and pedestrian traffic during open houses, with controls for visibility, signage, and interaction with public roads
• Entering cluttered or poorly maintained properties, including trip, slip, and manual handling risk controls
• Entering properties housing aggressive dogs or other animals, including pre-entry checks, exclusion zones, and emergency response
• Entering abandoned, vacant, or unsecured properties, including structural integrity checks and security/personal duress controls
• Inspecting haunted or stigmatised properties, including psychosocial risk management and dealing with distressed clients
• Managing the legal and WHS implications of incorrect property valuations, including documentation, disclosure, and consultation processes
• Maintaining social distancing and hygiene measures during open houses and inspections, including infection control procedures
• Managing disputes between buyers and sellers, including safe meeting practices and incident reporting for threatening behaviour
• Monitoring and controlling crowds during open houses or auctions, including maximum occupancy, queuing systems, and emergency evacuation
• Presenting properties in dodgy or crime-prone areas, including journey management, working alone procedures, and liaison with local authorities
• Use of mobile phones, lone worker systems, and personal duress alarms for agents working off-site or after hours
• General vehicle use for property visits, including journey planning, fatigue management, and parking risk controls

Who is this for?

This SWMS is designed for real estate agents, property managers, buyers’ agents, auctioneers, strata and facilities managers, and site supervisors responsible for the safety of staff conducting inspections, open homes, and auctions.

Specific Job Steps & Hazards Covered

Legislation & References

This document was researched and developed to align with:

• Model Code of Practice: How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks – Guidance on identifying hazards, assessing risks, and implementing control measures for real estate activities
• Model Code of Practice: Managing the Work Environment and Facilities – Requirements for safe access, amenities, and emergency planning at properties and auction venues
• Model Code of Practice: Work Health and Safety Consultation, Cooperation and Coordination – Duties for consultation between agencies, contractors, and workers across multiple sites
• Model Code of Practice: Managing the Risk of Falls at Workplaces – Controls for stairs, balconies, uneven surfaces, and elevated areas within properties
• Model Code of Practice: Violence and Aggression in the Workplace – Managing risks from aggressive tenants, clients, or members of the public during inspections and auctions
• Model Code of Practice: Managing Psychosocial Hazards at Work – Addressing stress, conflict, and exposure to traumatic or stigmatised property situations
• AS/NZS ISO 31000:2018 Risk Management – Guidelines – Framework for systematic risk management in real estate operations
• Work Health and Safety Act 2011
• Work Health and Safety Regulations 2017