Food for thought - housing discrimination on Long Island
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pnbplus1
Family
Member since 5/09 5751 total posts
Name: Mommy
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Food for thought - housing discrimination on Long Island
This article was recently published and the paywall taken down.
https://projects.newsday.com/long-island/real-estate-agents-investigation/
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Posted 11/20/19 1:26 PM |
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LuckyStar
LIF Adult
Member since 7/14 7273 total posts
Name:
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Food for thought - housing discrimination on Long Island
I read this yesterday. I’m glad Newsday is shedding light on a problem that’s unlikely to surprise anyone. My hope is that it’ll open people’s eyes to aspects of racism people don’t even think about.
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Posted 11/20/19 4:28 PM |
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PhyllisNJoe
My Box Is Broken
Member since 6/11 9145 total posts
Name: Phyllis
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Re: Food for thought - housing discrimination on Long Island
Posted by LuckyStar
I read this yesterday. I’m glad Newsday is shedding light on a problem that’s unlikely to surprise anyone. My hope is that it’ll open people’s eyes to aspects of racism people don’t even think about.
I agree.
My only issue is if a couple asks about a school rating, can they not give it to them? Do they just give them a website to research it themselves? Legit question I watched the entire undercover operation and the agents were clearing steering their clients and being completely and totally unfair. Even agents of color were being unfair to other people of color. It was disgusting all around. I say if you can afford a house , you should be able to buy the house. Period.
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Posted 11/23/19 1:15 PM |
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Re: Food for thought - housing discrimination on Long Island
Posted by PhyllisNJoe
Posted by LuckyStar
I read this yesterday. I’m glad Newsday is shedding light on a problem that’s unlikely to surprise anyone. My hope is that it’ll open people’s eyes to aspects of racism people don’t even think about.
I agree.
My only issue is if a couple asks about a school rating, can they not give it to them? Do they just give them a website to research it themselves? Legit question I watched the entire undercover operation and the agents were clearing steering their clients and being completely and totally unfair. Even agents of color were being unfair to other people of color. It was disgusting all around. I say if you can afford a house , you should be able to buy the house. Period.
I am not going to comment on the article itself for many reasons.
But to your question, we as realtors cannot comment on school district ratings or whether they are "good" or not. We can only direct people to the resources they can use (such as websites) to do their own research and draw their own conclusions. Same thing when people ask if a neighborhood is "safe" or about any demographic information.
Schools come up a lot in conversations with clients; it's usually a top priority for first time buyers at least. In reality, what is "good" for one person may not be for another, in that people have different needs and expectations about things like size of school, classes, academics, special ed offerings, athletics, the arts, aftercare/before care programs and busing, diversity, etc. So for that reason alone, we have to be careful as to what we represent.
However, very few clients understand this. It can be frustrating for a client - especially when they are out of the area and they are looking for a local specialist to guide them - when we have to kind of stonewall them and direct them to do their own research. I've seen many a rant on here about how the agent isn't doing their job, and "I am doing all the work." So it can be off-putting to not be able to have these candid conversations with realtors. We aren't even supposed to comment on things like "do a lot of young families live in this neighborhood?" or "are there a lot of senior citizens in this apartment complex?"
But if you start to give out information, it can be perceived as steering people toward or away from certain areas, and that is illegal.
Message edited 1/10/2020 11:40:50 AM.
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Posted 1/10/20 11:37 AM |
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RainyDay
LIF Adult
Member since 6/15 3989 total posts
Name:
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Re: Food for thought - housing discrimination on Long Island
Posted by Christine Braun - Signature Premier Properties
Posted by PhyllisNJoe
Posted by LuckyStar
I read this yesterday. I’m glad Newsday is shedding light on a problem that’s unlikely to surprise anyone. My hope is that it’ll open people’s eyes to aspects of racism people don’t even think about.
I agree.
My only issue is if a couple asks about a school rating, can they not give it to them? Do they just give them a website to research it themselves? Legit question I watched the entire undercover operation and the agents were clearing steering their clients and being completely and totally unfair. Even agents of color were being unfair to other people of color. It was disgusting all around. I say if you can afford a house , you should be able to buy the house. Period.
I am not going to comment on the article itself for many reasons.
But to your question, we as realtors cannot comment on school district ratings or whether they are "good" or not. We can only direct people to the resources they can use (such as websites) to do their own research and draw their own conclusions. Same thing when people ask if a neighborhood is "safe" or about any demographic information.
Schools come up a lot in conversations with clients; it's usually a top priority for first time buyers at least. In reality, what is "good" for one person may not be for another, in that people have different needs and expectations about things like size of school, classes, academics, special ed offerings, athletics, the arts, aftercare/before care programs and busing, diversity, etc. So for that reason alone, we have to be careful as to what we represent.
However, very few clients understand this. It can be frustrating for a client - especially when they are out of the area and they are looking for a local specialist to guide them - when we have to kind of stonewall them and direct them to do their own research. I've seen many a rant on here about how the agent isn't doing their job, and "I am doing all the work." So it can be off-putting to not be able to have these candid conversations with realtors. We aren't even supposed to comment on things like "do a lot of young families live in this neighborhood?" or "are there a lot of senior citizens in this apartment complex?"
But if you start to give out information, it can be perceived as steering people toward or away from certain areas, and that is illegal.
Looking back on buying our last home I can now see why our realtor didn't really answer some of our questions.
I just wish she was more upfront when I would ask her a question and she would answer vaguely.
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Posted 1/11/20 9:26 AM |
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Re: Food for thought - housing discrimination on Long Island
Posted by RainyDay
Posted by Christine Braun - Signature Premier Properties
Posted by PhyllisNJoe
Posted by LuckyStar
I read this yesterday. I’m glad Newsday is shedding light on a problem that’s unlikely to surprise anyone. My hope is that it’ll open people’s eyes to aspects of racism people don’t even think about.
I agree.
My only issue is if a couple asks about a school rating, can they not give it to them? Do they just give them a website to research it themselves? Legit question I watched the entire undercover operation and the agents were clearing steering their clients and being completely and totally unfair. Even agents of color were being unfair to other people of color. It was disgusting all around. I say if you can afford a house , you should be able to buy the house. Period.
I am not going to comment on the article itself for many reasons.
But to your question, we as realtors cannot comment on school district ratings or whether they are "good" or not. We can only direct people to the resources they can use (such as websites) to do their own research and draw their own conclusions. Same thing when people ask if a neighborhood is "safe" or about any demographic information.
Schools come up a lot in conversations with clients; it's usually a top priority for first time buyers at least. In reality, what is "good" for one person may not be for another, in that people have different needs and expectations about things like size of school, classes, academics, special ed offerings, athletics, the arts, aftercare/before care programs and busing, diversity, etc. So for that reason alone, we have to be careful as to what we represent.
However, very few clients understand this. It can be frustrating for a client - especially when they are out of the area and they are looking for a local specialist to guide them - when we have to kind of stonewall them and direct them to do their own research. I've seen many a rant on here about how the agent isn't doing their job, and "I am doing all the work." So it can be off-putting to not be able to have these candid conversations with realtors. We aren't even supposed to comment on things like "do a lot of young families live in this neighborhood?" or "are there a lot of senior citizens in this apartment complex?"
But if you start to give out information, it can be perceived as steering people toward or away from certain areas, and that is illegal.
Looking back on buying our last home I can now see why our realtor didn't really answer some of our questions.
I just wish she was more upfront when I would ask her a question and she would answer vaguely.
Absolutely, if I cannot answer something, I try to explain why not (if there are legal guidelines prohibiting it), and try to be as helpful as possible in directing the buyers to the right resources to get that info and draw their own conclusions. I would never want someone to think that I am not willing to help them, or not knowledgeable enough to help them.
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Posted 1/13/20 4:53 PM |
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