Home Selling with personal bias interjected into representations?

Do we let our personal bias interject into our home selling representations?

I do not think most people, at this point, exercise intentional discriminatory practices or statements.  Real estate agents know the law and have a duty to inform clients of the discriminatory issues that arise.  If a real estate agent feels uncomfortable siteing the legal requirements they certainly tell them where to find and read it for themselves.  Check the legal requirements telling where to find the legal requirements on discriminatory practices rather just telling a potential client where to look up the law may not be enough to protect you either.

We all know the legal requirements of the law so it is safe to say overt statements are not in this blog nor do they have any place in our social or business settings.  That is not what this post is about.  Our undisclosed bias that comes from where we grew up, life experiences and business interactions with clients over time is what we will explore.

We all anticipate, interpret and compare information.....that is how we learn.  Once learned we become more repetitive in our responses and use similar methods to deal with situations.  Once they work why change them.  every once in awhile those old trusty learned habits don't fit the situation.  Then we have to wing it on instincts.

Our bias dictates how we react to situations.  Price ranges of homes makes you immediately think of economic standards and the implications of those standards.  We have expectations on the types of homes within a price range.  We even consider neighborhood make up, probable condition, size of lots or lack of any yard.

I grew up in the inner city of Chicago.  We had a courtyard.  No grass, plants on the patio and balcony but no grass.  A brick courtyard.  It was private, quiet except for our yelling and screeching.  It was large enough to play stick ball, using a tennis ball of course.  We stayed, as youngsters, pretty much on our block.  This was our world, safe with everyone knowing everyone.  As we grew older we ventured further out, blocks away but not miles.  Miles away was another world, someone else's turf so to speak.  So when you say you live in the inner city to a New Yorker, or someone from Philadelphia that means something completely different than where I live now.

Inner city can mean blight, old buildings, renovation areas, drugs, crime or it can mean enterprise, revitalization new constructions, condos, office buildings, restaurants and musiums. 

We don't create what is and we don't create what isn't.  What we create is dreams, opportunity, options and futures.

Bias has no place to hide in our lives if we look at each situation for what it is instead of what we think it should be.  We can make a difference with out actions without saying a word.  People know, understand and appreciate who we are based on what we do not what we have done.

Have a great holiday season.  

My thoughts and prays are with "Irene Kennedy" and her family, a special lady, that will be missed.