This may be one of the intended goals.
It is far from reality.
People by nature are more comfortable with people that are from a similar race, color, national origin, or religion. People often prefer to live in an area where their particular chosen lifestyle is accepted. People, across the board, want to feel comfortable in their new living environment. It is just my opinion, but that seems to be human nature.
It is not a violation of the Fair Housing Act to assist them in finding a home that THEY want.
Real estate agents seem to get confused or perplexed when dealing with buyers and/or renters. They rebuff inquiries about neighborhoods or fall into the "strange mode" of " I can show you anything based on your criteria, but I can not comment on the racial make up, color make up, predominant national origin or predominant religion in any area." "I can not tell you about schools, crime or sexual offenders, but I can direct you to websites where you can discover the information your self. I can not tell you about any potential changes to the community, but I can direct you to the planning office where you can research that information for yourself."
When asked, what then is your value Mr. or Ms. Realtor, I guess they can reply "I have access to the homes. I can open the door for you."
Oh, now there is justification for the money you earn!
It would seem to me that the value of an agent working with a buyer or renter is in part their knowledge of the community. Clients come to agents and are quite open in their desires. Should they be left to the whims of the agent? If someone asks to live in a predominantly Asian community, is the agent doing their job when they drive them all over hill and dale (when any agent that actually lives and works in the area knows full well where Asian communities are located).
If a client wants to look at homes that are within walking distance of a religious location, is the agent doing their job when that drive them all over hill and dale ( when any agent that actually lives and works in the area knows full well where religious locations are located).
I happen to believe that locating the right home is my job. If there is reluctance on the part of the seller because of the race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status or handicap of my client, well then we shall seek the protection of the Fair Housing Act. That is what the act exist for...to protect, not hinder those that are buying or renting a home.
If you happen to be a single woman and the thought of walking through the gauntlet of young men jeering every night when you come home makes you sick, you do have a right to find a home that may preclude that experience. If you have a good agent, they should be able to assist you. Just because testosterone laden cat calls are not illegal, does not mean you have to live where they might well exist.
The internet is chock full of data that buyers can use. You can go to crime sites and see the crimes reported. You can go to city data sites and see the demographics of a neighborhood. You can go to school sites and see the demographics of any school, including test rankings, racial breakdown and percentage of free lunch participants. You can search and juggle data as infinitum. Your agent should have internet access as well.
The law dictates that you can not be discriminated against on basic criteria. YOU have the right to discriminate against anything you like when you are buying or renting. No government can dictate where you choose to live.
Buyers beware ... fair housing does not limit your decisions. Fair housing protects your right to act on those decisions. The law is a good law, but it is not a guideline for purchase or rental decisions. Keep that in mind the next time you ask an intelligent question of an agent and get sent to Wikipedia or Google.
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