REALTOR® Fair Housing Declaration
Part 4 of Nar’s fight against discrimination is about the Fair housing Act. This is more than a list of dos and don’ts, rights and penalties. It is a important law that guarantees that no one can refuse to sell or lease property to anyone because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, sexual orientation, gender identity and national origin. Please checkout the whole Fair Housing Act with the United States Department of Justice. I have included some excerpts from the ACT.
Sec. 805. [42 U.S.C. 3605] Discrimination in Residential Real Estate-Related Transactions
(a) In General.--It shall be unlawful for any person or other entity whose business includes engaging in residential real estate-related transactions to discriminate against any person in making available such a transaction, or in the terms or conditions of such a transaction, because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin.
(b) Definition.--As used in this section, the term "residential real estate-related transaction" means any of the following:
(1) The making or purchasing of loans or providing other financial assistance--
(A) for purchasing, constructing, improving, repairing, or maintaining a dwelling; or
(B) secured by residential real estate.
(2) The selling, brokering, or appraising of residential real property.
(c) Appraisal Exemption.--Nothing in this title prohibits a person engaged in the business of furnishing appraisals of real property to take into consideration factors other than race, color, religion, national origin, sex, handicap, or familial status.
Sec. 806. [42 U.S.C. 3606] Discrimination in provision of brokerage services After December 31, 1968, it shall be unlawful to deny any person access to or membership or participation in any multiple-listing service, real estate brokers' organization or other service, organization, or facility relating to the business of selling or renting dwellings, or to discriminate against him in the terms or conditions of such access, membership, or participation, on account of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin.
I as a REALTOR® agree to:
- Provide equal professional service without regard to the race, color, religion, gender (sex), disability (handicap), familial status, national origin, sexual orientation or gender identity of any prospective client, customer, or of the residents of any community.
- Keep informed about fair housing law and practices, improving my clients’ and customers’ opportunities and my business.
- Develop advertising that indicates that everyone is welcome and no one is excluded;, expanding my clients and customer’s opportunities to see, buy, or lease property.
- Inform my clients and customers about their rights and responsibilities under the fair housing laws by providing brochures and other information.
- Document my efforts to provide professional service, which will assist me in becoming a more responsive and successful REALTOR®.
- Refuse to tolerate non-compliance.
- Learn about those who are different from me, and celebrate those differences.
- Take a positive approach to fair housing practices and aspire to follow the spirit as well as the letter of the law.
- Develop and implement fair housing practices for my firm to carry out the spirit of this declaration.
This is my final part to my series on Discrimination in Real Estate. I started the series out with an article from NAR - National Association of Realtors® full article. I have also added a page to my website covering At Home With Diversity®. The page goes over the information in all 4 blogs. My website has over 25 years worth of real estate insight information that I have gathered through the years and have added to the site.