I was recently emailed a flyer from DR Horton...they email out to agents all the time. Often they are letting us, as agents know about events and maybe buyer specials or new neighborhoods they have started building in. It's important to their business to get the word out to agents as statistics show that over 85% of a builder's business is through a real estate agent. So this morning, I got a flyer that DR Horton homes is only interested in SPANISH SPEAKING agents. An event in the Woodlands for DR HORTON with spanish speaking materials only. Personally, I speak English. I know that there are multi-lingual agents out there and there are buyers/sellers that are only Spanish speaking...that's not my issue. That's part of the normal market...but what message is it sending to say "EVENT FOR SPANISH SPEAKING AGENTS ONLY". Is this a type of neighborhood profiling?
Article 10 of the REALTOR® Code of Ethics is pretty clear on any type of discrimination although "language" does not appear in the wording:
Article 10 
REALTORS® shall not deny equal professional services to any person for
reasons of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or
national origin. REALTORS® shall not be parties to any plan or
agreement to discriminate against a person or persons on the basis of
race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin.
(Amended 1/90)
REALTORS®, in their real estate employment practices, shall not
discriminate against any person or persons on the basis of race,
color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin.
Article 10-3 also speaks to advertising practices:
Standard of Practice 10-3
REALTORS® shall not print, display or circulate any statement or
advertisement with respect to selling or renting of a property that
indicates any preference, limitations or discrimination based on race,
color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin.
So Does DR HORTON'S Spanish only event border that line? Cross it?
Does REALTOR® participation in an event like this cross that line of "shall not be parties to any plan or agreement to discriminate against a person or persons"?
Is DR HORTON only looking for Spanish speaking agents and not necessarily Spanish Speaking only buyers?
Is this an OK practice for a builder to participate in? I've never seen another builder choose a particular demographic to advertise to in the REALTOR® community...
Good, bad, indifferent?
Ron Tarvin, Broker
katyagent@gmail.com
281-935-7152 Direct or Text
www.katyagent.com
Comments(10)