Fair Housing Month is here! Every April, REALTORS® commemorate the passage of the Fair Housing Act of 1968 with events and education that shine a light on housing discrimination and segregation. Fair Housing Month signifies a recommitment to expanding equal access to housing.
This year, BRR will be highlighting five main resources and initiatives:
- Buyer Love Letter Awareness
- C2EX and Fairhaven Challenge
- Delete Discrimination Grant Program / Senate Bill 1240
- Lessons Learned From Long Island Divided
- National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) Resources
Read on to learn more about Fair Housing Month!
To entice a seller to choose their offer, buyers sometimes write “love letters” to describe the many reasons why the seller should select their offer. While this may seem harmless, these letters can actually pose fair housing risks because they often contain personal information and reveal characteristics of the buyer, such as race, religion, or familial status, which could then be used, knowingly or through unconscious bias, as an unlawful basis for a seller’s decision to accept or reject an offer.
If your buyer suggests submitting a “love letter,” discourage them and share that by doing so, they may be creating a situation that could lead to a violation of fair housing law. If your client insists, do not help them write or deliver it and avoid reading any love letter drafted by your client.
So the question is, especially in this competitive market, what can REALTORS® do instead of buyer love letters to make a buyer’s offer stand out?
Help your buyer craft a strong offer that speaks for itself, not only on price but also with terms that meet the seller’s motivations. Perhaps that means offering a rent back agreement if timing is an issue, or waiving certain contingencies (if your client is comfortable with this and it is in their best interest to do so). Some buyer’s agents have found success by introducing themselves and outlining their qualifications and transaction success rate, reassuring the seller and the listing agent that they will get the deal done.
Read more about this topic in our blog, “Reduce Risk Around Buyer Love Letters”.
As NAR continues to strengthen its commitment to fair housing in the real estate industry, 2022 President Leslie Rouda Smith, is encouraging REALTORS® to lead by example by completing the Fair Housing Challenge and/or the REALTORS® Commitment to Excellence (C2EX) Challenge.
C2EX Challenge
Complete the REALTORS® Commitment to Excellence Challenge and earn the REALTORS® Commitment to Excellence (C2EX) Endorsement. Commitment to Excellence (C2EX) from the National Association of REALTORS® empowers REALTORS® to evaluate, enhance and showcase their highest levels of professionalism. It’s not a course, class or designation—it’s an Endorsement that REALTORS® can promote when serving clients and other REALTORS®.
Fair Housing Challenge
In November 2020, NAR launched Fairhaven, a new fair housing simulation training for REALTORS® that uses the power of storytelling to help members identify, prevent, and address discriminatory practices in real estate. Inspired by real stories, this innovative online experience has agents work against the clock to sell homes in the fictional town of Fairhaven, while confronting discrimination in the homebuying process. Learners will also walk in the shoes of a homebuyer facing discrimination. The training provides customized feedback that learners can apply to daily business interactions. Explore the fictional town and complete the challenge today!
Over the course of April, BRR will update the C2EX page and the Fairhaven page as new members complete each challenge.
BRR’s Delete Discrimination program is a CC&R amendment grant program that aims to delete discrimination in HOA documents by offering HOAs a grant of up to $1,000 to offset the cost of amending their documents to remove discriminatory provisions in violation of the Federal Fair Housing Act of 1968.
On March 23, 2022, Idaho Governor Brad Little signed Senate Bill 1240 into law, which is legislation that corrects racially restrictive language in Idaho home deeds and title documents.
The Delete Discrimination program, along with the work of Idaho REALTORS®, both played significant roles in the crafting and passing of this bill, and we’re pleased to see our collective efforts result in positive change.
With SB 1240 not set to go into full effect until later this summer, we encourage all residents of homes physically located in Ada, Elmore, or Gem County, Idaho, to take advantage of the Delete Discrimination Program if they are aware of any racially restrictive language in HOA documents. Contact BRR Director of Government Affairs, Cameron Kinzer, with any questions.
2022 Boise Regional REALTORS® President, Becky Enrico Crum, and Boise Regional REALTORS® Chief Executive Officer, Breanna Vanstrom, pictured at the Idaho State Capitol for the signing of SB 1240 on March 23, 2022.
Back in December 2021, Boise Regional REALTORS® hosted a webinar, Lessons Learned From Long Island Divided, that explored Newsday’s Peabody Award-winning investigation, Long Island Divided, and its documentary film, Testing the Divide. The webinar featured Bill Dedman – one of the lead reporters on Newsday’s three-year investigation.
The investigation, published in November 2019, revealed that Long Island’s dominant residential real estate brokerages helped reinforce racial segregation through illegal steering of customers. Newsday’s team received several national awards for their work, including a Peabody Award.
BRR’s webinar includes a discussion with Bill where he addresses the following questions: How were the tests conducted? What were the major findings? How can agents avoid steering? Can agents talk about schools? How can agents ensure fair treatment?
Now, the complete recording of webinar is available on YouTube, and we encourage all BRR members to watch the recording during Fair Housing Month!
NAR has compiled a variety of resources to help members recognize and celebrate Fair Housing Month, such as:
Fair Housing Month is a great time to affirm you’re helping to build thriving, inclusive communities. Fair housing impacts all NAR members, all markets, and all neighborhoods.
Check yourself. Educate yourself. Hold yourself accountable. Because That’s Who We R®.
