Fair Housing, Consumer Protection, and Ethical Practices
The federal framework
The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in sale, rental, advertising, and financing based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status, and disability. Additional protections can come from state or local law - always apply the strictest applicable standard. Exemptions exist (owner selling her own home without a broker, rental of a room in an owner-occupied home, small owner-occupied multifamily, religious organizations, private clubs), but the advertising prohibition and brokerage practice rules still constrain how business is done.
Prohibited conduct includes refusing to show, steering, different terms or conditions, blockbusting (panic selling), redlining, and practices with unjustified disparate impact. Disability rules require reasonable accommodation (policy exceptions, such as a service animal that is not a pet) and reasonable modification (tenant-paid structural changes, generally restored at move-out). Familial status means no "adults only" or "no children" rules, subject to reasonable occupancy standards.
Ethics and consumer protection
Know the NAR Code of Ethics themes: disclosure of interest, no misrepresentation, cooperation, and no discrimination (Article 10). RESPA Section 8 bars referral fees; UDAP statutes bar deceptive practices; federal privacy and marketing laws restrict data sharing and unsolicited contact. Never state a preference in advertising.
Worked example: a listing agent writes "perfect for a young couple, no children please." The test is not the seller's motive but whether the statement signals a preference based on familial status - it does, so the ad must be rewritten to describe the property, not the people.
Traps: qualifying buyers on objective financial criteria is lawful; a blanket "no Section 8" is lawful under federal law but may violate local source-of-income ordinances. Accommodation is not a favor - it is a right.