Small Moments, Big Impact

Use your influence to champion fair housing and support the "Fair Housing Forward" effort

April is the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR)Fair Housing month and a great time to reinforce how good habits and actions, big and small, keep us accountable and have a significant impact in championing fair and equitable access to housing for all. Assuring that everyone has the same access to information about listings and opportunities to view properties is essential. Take action and supportFair Housing Forwardby: 

• Understanding fair housing, why it’s essential, and how implicit in upholding fair housing is equal access to all in a fair and open market. TheNational Fair Housing Act of 1968prohibits discrimination concerning the sale, rental, financing, and advertising of housing based on race, religion, national origin, sex (and as amended), handicap, and family status. It recognizes that property rights should not be abridged and upholds access to housing of choice. State and local laws also prohibit discrimination, often on a broader set of criteria, including discrimination based upon sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, and source of lawful income. Learn more about New York state’s fair housing policy on theNew York State Association of REALTORS' site. NAR’s Fair housing policy opposes discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, sexual orientation, gender identity, and national origin. And though strides forward have been made, the fight is not over. NAR reported as of 2018 that only half the country prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and that HUD noted that the highest proportion of complaints was discrimination based on disability. OneKey® MLS subscribers must comply with applicable fair housing laws and regulations, including those at the state and local level. Your everyday actions have a significant impact on protecting housing rights in America -- upholding access to housing of choice in treating everyone the same, encouraging a fair and open housing marketplace. 

• Ensuring you know and abide by the requirement to submit listings and NAR's Clear Cooperation. As a OneKey® MLS subscriber, you agree to abide by NAR’s Clear Cooperation policy. Listing agents must enter all listings within the OneKey® MLS footprint within one (1) business day of marketing to the public. If instructed by your seller not to market in the MLS, you must fill out an Office Exclusive Form and have it signed by your seller. The listing is entered in the MLS asPrivate - Y.Learn more about theClear Cooperationand the recently announcedMultiple Listing Options for Sellers.

• Setting and maintaining accurate and up-to-date statuses for your listing.Do you know your status definitions? Test your knowledge in the callout box at the bottom of this article. It’s a great time to review the status definition and ensure that you are updating your listings promptly. That assures every buyer (and their agent) the same opportunity to access your listing. Learn more about listing statuses in theKnowledge Base.

• Considering accessibility in your listings and showings and fill out all the appropriate listing fields. NAR calls this issue of accessibility: Visitable Housing. Take into consideration how individuals with mobility or sensory challenges may be impacted. Among questions to consider are: Is there wheelchair accessibility? Are all age groups likely to be as comfortable accessing the listing? What type of latches are available on doors? Are there threshold height differences between types of flooring? Consider heights for countertops and how things like sinks and faucets are positioned can have a potential impact. Try to anticipate possible challenges clients may face living in the home and hosting others and disclose this information to make for a better experience for all. You can find these fields to consider on yourlisting formsand in ADD/EDIT in Matrix.

• Including Photo Type and Photo Description in your listingsto improve their reach. Adding the caption or type to your listing photos and a description especially assists viewers who may use a visual accessibility screen reader.

Fields to Consider for Accessibility

• Using inclusive language in your listing remarks and ensure that you describe the property, not neighborhoods or people.Consider how your language aligns with Fair Housing guidelines and that you accurately and inclusively represent the property. Remember that thelawprohibits directly or indirectly stating a preference or limitation based on any protected classes.

• Utilizing photos in your listing that depict property.Just as the descriptions in public remarks for your listing should contain only information pertinent to the property, not people, your photos should also be property-centric. Though you may choose to show people, remember that these images may create concerns about fair housing, inadvertently showing the ideal resident of a particular house, property, or neighborhood. They also create the potential for use of likeness complaints for the listing agent. Photos that contain multiple individuals of ONLY one race/class are of particular concern. 

• Calling out discrimination when you see it.We all understand that mistakes happen when entering or updating a listing or sale, but we also have a responsibility to uphold the law and act in support of fair housing. Please report questionable listings toCompliance@OneKeyMLS.com. Your report is confidential, and the Compliance team will follow up on each report. 

• Boosting transparency about layout by including floorplanswith your listings. Your OneKey MLS subscription includes floor plans throughCubiCasa, an easy and accessible way to add information to your listing.

• Highlighting down payment assistance programsand affordability options to make home ownership as accessible as possible withDown Payment Resource, included with your OneKey MLS subscription.

Test Your Knowledge Answer Key:

1. False, Coming Soon listings are not available for showings. 
2. True
3. False, though signs are considered a form of advertising and would indicate a listing that must be entered within 1 (one) business day, they may remain in place after a listing goes under contract.  
4. True
5. It depends . . . if an offer is accepted with no more showings it should be updated to Temp Off Market. If there is an accepted offer, but the seller has instructed you to continue showing the property it may stay Active. 
6. False, a contract must be fully executed by both parties to be Pending status. 
7. True