REALTORS® want to do the right thing. The National Association of REALTORS® offers the following tips for working with LGBTQ+ clients and demonstrating your commitment to fair housing.
- Join NAR’s Multicultural Real Estate Partners and help expand homeownership opportunities for people from diverse backgrounds.
- Share your name and personal pronouns as an invitation for your clients to do the same.
- Use gender neutral language.
- Incorporate inclusive language in forms.
- Use the fair housing logo in all your communications.
- Listen attentively.
- Don’t ask what your client’s real name is and don’t inquire about their personal medical history.
- If you make a mistake, correct yourself, apologize, and continue forward with the conversation.
- Be consistent with employing your company’s policies and procedures.
- Discontinue representing any client who has made a statement or taken an action in violation of fair housing laws. Report the situation to your broker. Document the situation in writing, including what actions you took in response to your client’s violations. If you are unsure whether a client’s actions violate fair housing laws, consult with an attorney.
- If your client experiences discrimination, talk to your broker and let your client know where they can go to report discriminatory behavior.
- Engage in continuous learning.
