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Fair Housing and Listing Remarks: If I include Everybody, how long will the list be?

By
Real Estate Broker/Owner with Realty Arts NC Broker License #235526

I just pulled this line out of an email flyer that came this morning:

"This home is great for a single buyer, young couple, growing family, or empty nesters."

Hmmmm.  I wonder....  Is the list complete?  Is anyone excluded?  Are we tiptoeing around a protected class anywhere?  What about a family that is not growing?  Are they allowed to buy?  Suppose they have three kids. and the oldest one is going off to college.  Does that qualify under the guidelines?

What about a couple of folks, one older, one younger, with another relative, perhaps an in-law who will live there part-time?  Where do they fit in?

Would it not be much better to closely focus on the attributes of the property, rather than the attributes of a potential Buyer?  If the Buyer comes with the Benjamins, or the funding, do they have to fit into another group to buy?

I sell real estate.  I don't sell people.  It is hard enough work to get the house sold.  I'm not about to branch out into selling demographics.

Interesting the reaction from many agents in the following AR blogs:

Nick Snow

And Lenn Harley's Reblog of Nick's post

Posted by

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Scan the QR Code with your Smartphone to Email MeQR CodeMike Jaquish, REALTOR®

919-880-2769 www.RealtyArts.com

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Independent Broker/Owner, Realty Arts

130 Towerview Court,

Cary, NC

Comments(7)

Charlie Ragonesi
AllMountainRealty.com - Big Canoe, GA
Homes - Big Canoe, Jasper, North Georgia Pros

I do not find anything wrong with this listing. If folks have these type of buyers it may trigger a Realtor to look at it. So Yes it could have been listed as 6 instead of a half dozen but really to me it made no difference

Mar 29, 2010 12:12 AM
Richard Strahm
American Foursquare Realty - Lansdale, PA
Lansdale and North Penn Real Estate

Mike - I see a problem there.  They omitted space aliens and sub-atomic particles in their list of who the home would be perfect for.

Mar 29, 2010 12:13 AM
Real estate with a purpose
Our Father's Houses Realty - Easley, SC

I've really never understood the problem with pointing out a demographic that a home might be perfect for, but was taught early on that another group might overlook it if it's targeted to a different description than they fit.  Same with "Large yard." Large is not a quantifiable description.  Some buyer may not want all the headache of a "large yard" (3 acres in their head), but want instead only a 1 acre lot (large by my description).  So I try to stick to either quantities (1 acre lot) or more generic people pleasing descriptions (beautiful yard, private yard).

Mar 29, 2010 12:22 AM
Deborah Byron Leffler BzyBee Real Estate Lady!
Keller Williams Realty Boise - Nampa, ID

That is an interesting label...and if that was in an ad they paid for I sure wouldn't want to pay for hte extra space!!   I try to stick to the house details...not determine who should live there! 

Mar 29, 2010 01:22 AM
Mike Jaquish
Realty Arts - Cary, NC
919-880-2769 Cary, NC, Real Estate

Charlie,

I have clients.  They are white, married, in their 30's, with two preschool girls.  What demographic terms should a listing agent use to attract me to show them a home?

Richard,

Yep.  Cave Trolls, too.  ;)

Dreamfinders,

If another group overlooks a property, would it be because they would feel excluded?  That may open a door to a date with HUD, I think.  And you make some good points, about measurable descriptions of the property, too.

Deborah,

Obviously we have a similar outlook.

Mar 29, 2010 01:48 AM
Maureen McCabe
HER Realtors - Columbus, OH
Columbus Ohio Real Estate

I think it is safer to describe the property but I think some people are overboard on being politically correct. In a comment on a post someone who seems pretty level headed to me said the whole walkable neighborhood thing could be a HUD violation.  Yes people can make complaints... that they don't fit that demographic but the rest of the world does not have to hush up the fact that there are great urban neighborhoods because someone could complain. Location is physical.  That is a description of the property.  Walkable is not demographic.

 Or is it?

Mar 29, 2010 02:06 AM
Mike Jaquish
Realty Arts - Cary, NC
919-880-2769 Cary, NC, Real Estate

Maureen,

Physical description of a property would be, similar to Dreamfinders comments, "300 feet to grocery store, 1/4 mile to Town Park and Lake."

"Walkable" is subjective, not measurable.

Mar 29, 2010 02:47 AM