Boston Condos for Sale and Apartments for Rent
Can a Boston real estate broker provide a condo buyer with crime stats?
A Boston condo broker’s client is shopping for Boston condos for sale and he/she is from New York City and wants to know the crime rates in different neighborhoods in Boston to help them make their homebuying decision.
Question: Can the Boston real estate broker generate a crime report for the potential Boston condo buyer?
Verdict: No. The Boston condo broker would have committed an ethics code and fair housing violation.
Such practices that might potentially sway a Boston condo buyer toward wanting to live in one neighborhood versus another are considered steering under the Fair Housing Act and the National Association of Realtors (NAR) ethics guidelines. To avoid a potential slip into steering, agents can be sure to do things like suggest listings to clients based on a home’s objective features or price point and refer clients to third parties if they have questions about things like schools or ethnicities in a neighborhood.
