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Would you sell a home to these couples? You may not have to soon!

By
Real Estate Broker/Owner with Broker Associate / Team Lead - Texas Pride Realty Group 0503820 TX

A couple walks into your suburban real estate brokerage and wants to look at homes today.  They have new jobs in your city and need a house near good schools.  They need to move quickly and have a pre-qualification worth gold.  Do you sign them up, put them in your car and go? 

 

Well, if the new Religious Freedom bills circulating though many state legislatures are passed, you won't have to, and Article 10 of our REALTOR CODE OF ETHICS would be greatly affected.

 

These bills state that anyone with a "Deeply Held Religious Belief" can not be compelled to give services to the public. 

 

For Example:

* If there was a Fireman who had a deeply held religious belief against interracial couples that fireman could refuse to put out their house fire.

* If a hotel clerk had a deeply held religious belief against lesbian couples he would not have to provide a room at the Hilton.

* If a REALTOR had a deeply held religious belief against African-Americans that REALTOR would be allowed to deny them showings.

These bills fly in the face of common decently, the REALTOR Code of Ethics and Equal Housing Laws.

 

 

The Texas Legislature already has bills like this ready for next session.  Your state may as well. 

 

I believe that RPAC (and in Texas, TREPAC) needs to send a clear message to our endorsed candidates from BOTH parties that discrimination disguised as Religious Freedom will damage our ability to offer equal services to all.  Political Candidates who play with discrimination as an election issue do not deserve our endorsements.  Discrimination hurts families and property values.  Red lining and segregation are antithetical to the American Dream of home ownership.  Our Code of Ethics holds REALTORS to a higher standard and our endorsed candidates should understand that legalized discrimination will not help them gain our PAC money or our endorsements. 

 

 

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