I’ve been in real estate in some capacity for over a decade and I’ve certainly learned a lot about how the industry works. I take pride in being able to answer questions that are important to my clients, as they are trusting me with one of the biggest decisions of their lives. However, there are some questions that they frequently ask that I just cannot answer. It’s not that I am incapable of answering them...rather, that I legally cannot answer them.
This is because of the Fair Housing Act.
Passed in 1968, the Fair Housing Act is one of the most significant bills ever passed into law in the United States. The bill’s main purpose is to eliminate discrimination in housing and lending. Specifically, the bill makes it illegal to discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, and national origin.
Have you ever asked your real estate agent a question like this: Is this a good area? How are the schools? What’s the neighborhood like? How did the agent answer? If their answer seemed dodgy, or if they just refused to answer the question at all; that is by design, as it is in accordance with the law. If a real estate agent answers this question it can be considered “steering” which is the act of directing a home buyer towards or away from a particular area based on any of the parameters listed above. For example, if your real estate agent says “this area isn’t safe” it can be seen as them trying to steer you away from that area. We know that you want to live in a safe area...but we cannot determine for you what areas you do and do not consider to be safe.
What CAN my real estate agent do?
We can’t answer you directly, but we can point you to resources that will give you the information you seek. We can’t tell you if a school system is good...but we can provide you with a list of websites that give you information on different school districts in your county/state. We can’t tell you if the neighborhood is safe...but we can put you in touch with the local police department to discuss crime data for an area. Our best service is to provide you with the resources you need to make sure that you are making the right decision. Because that’s what we want for you...for you to feel great about the decision you’re making.
Final thought
Discrimination in real estate (or anywhere, really) is an absolutely awful thing. Real estate is the most reliable and most accessible means of building wealth available to an entire generation of people. To be denied that opportunity because of your race, sexual orientation, gender, or any of the other qualifiers is a terrible injustice. The Fair Housing Act is an important safeguard to ensure that all Americans have access to the same opportunities as everyone else.