Staying Current is Critical

As all of you know, selling houses entails a lot more than just selling houses.  From taxation issues, to business licensing issues, to financial regulations and fair housing laws, there seems to be a long list of things that have nothing to do with closing a deal that you need to know in order to properly close a deal.

It is critical for REALTORS® to stay current on all of the Fair Housing rules and regulations in order to safeguard against any kind of discrimination.  The good news is that NAR has a comprehensive set of tools at your disposal that can help you stay current on all of the necessary information regarding Fair Housing.

A cornucopia of tools in the form of videos, articles, and web links can be found on the NAR website at this direct link:

http://www.realtor.org/library/library/fg705

Fair housing covers a lot more than overt discrimination.  Seemingly innocent questions regarding a neighborhood may not be so innocent in the eyes of the law, so staying up on the latest news will help you provide the best service possible to your clients while also safeguarding your license.

We spoke with some of our members regarding the issue, and it was the subtle communications that seem to be the most common possible slip-up.  "You really need to be careful about what you put on your Facebook page," said Jessica Kincaid of Keller-Williams Realty.  "It's not just the obvious conversations with your clients; it's everything."

Keeping even the casual conversations straight and legal may sound intimidating, but all that it takes is a little time spent staying current on the latest fair housing information.  The good news is that www.realtor.org keeps the page above loaded with the latest need-to-know information on Fair Housing.  There are NAR videos, documents, guides, and brochures that you can download, and they also keep up with links to the latest news on the subject from around the country.

A good place to start on the page is by downloading the HUD brochure "39 Steps Toward Fair Housing."  Starting with the passage of the Fair Housing Act in 1968, this pamphlet details the intent of the original law, those protected by it, court cases over the years that have clarified the law and set legal precedent, and additional laws passed in regard fair practices in the other areas of the real estate transaction such as the credit selection process and loan origination.

That brochure acts as a kind of legal primer to let you know where we are from a legislative and court point of view, and how we got there.  The news articles let you know of current issues on the subject from around the country, and the videos tell you how to stay within the boundaries of the law in regard to your day-to-day transactions.