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NJ RE Broker study materials
NJ RE Broker study resources

NJ RE Broker: Ethics, Fair Housing and Consumer Protection

NJ RE Broker · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.

All guide sections

Ethics, Fair Housing and Consumer Protection

Fair housing framework

Federal Fair Housing Act protected classes: race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status, and disability. The New Jersey Law Against Discrimination covers all of those and adds, among others, ancestry, age, marital or domestic partnership or civil union status, affectional or sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, atypical hereditary cellular blood trait, genetic information, liability for military service, and - critically for rentals - source of lawful income, which includes housing vouchers.

Prohibited practices

Refusing to sell, rent, or negotiate; offering different terms, privileges, or services; steering buyers toward or away from neighborhoods; blockbusting; redlining; discriminatory advertising; harassment; and retaliation against someone who complains. Enforcement runs through the NJ Division on Civil Rights and federal HUD.

Ethics and consumer protection

REALTORS observe the Code of Ethics: protect the client's interest (Article 1), avoid misrepresentation (Article 2), cooperate with other brokers (Article 3), refrain from concealing facts (Article 9), ensure equal opportunity (Article 10), keep advertising truthful (Article 12), and respect exclusive relationships (Article 16). New Jersey's Consumer Fraud Act reaches real estate sales and advertising, and violations can bring enhanced damages and attorney fees. Never discuss commission rates with competitors - that is antitrust exposure.

Traps

  • "Adults only" advertising - familial status discrimination.
  • Rejecting a Section 8 voucher - source of income discrimination under NJ law.
  • Steering a family with children away from a complex "because it's quieter."
  • Calling a competitor to "agree on a standard commission."

Worked example

A landlord instructs an agent to refuse voucher holders. The agent must decline the instruction and explain that source of lawful income is protected in New Jersey; complying would expose the agent, the broker, and the owner to a civil rights complaint.