Why cant we give our opinions on SCHOOLS? (RE agent, Realtors, standard)
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Why do realtors always say they cant give their opinions on a school?
I am on my way to becoming a Realtor and just wanted to have this question answered.
I am VERY knowledgeable about the schools in my state. So why would i have to be neutral on that fact?
Am i only allowed to provide statistics from the state ?
You merely point them to the appropriate internet website (for the school, the district, whatever). They have to make the choice for themselves, you can only direct them where to go for info.
That having been said, if someone comes to you and says they want to live only in ABC district or attend only ABC school, then you are allowed to show them homes "only" in that area. Make sense?
Last edited by twojulybabies; 10-01-2008 at 06:34 PM..
Reason: typo
When I have buyer looking in my area I will let them know that I am very happy with the schools my children go to and I know many other families with children in the other local schools so I am able to tell them what those parents think.
I relate it to them in this way so they are getting opinions on them, I am not saying such and such school is good or bad. I will also then advise them to go to the schools themselves or go on one of the many school rating websites.
If in doubt talk to your broker but I think many agents are just too worried that they are going to say the wrong thing.
And this would not be steering as previously posted. Steering would be if I had a purple buyer and I told them that all the purple kids went to X school or if I purposely pushed them to another neighborhood that only had purple people living in it.
What if someone asked if a school was a good school, and you thought to yourself, "sure, they all go to college, lots of sports, theater, etc"
And you said yes, the schools are good.
Well, suppose they have a child with special needs? Is your school still "good"? It is all so subjective, your best and safest bet is to just provide them with resources to check out.
And this would not be steering as previously posted. Steering would be if I had a purple buyer and I told them that all the purple kids went to X school or if I purposely pushed them to another neighborhood that only had purple people living in it.
Because I am new, and always trying to learn, I want to clarify this. Here's what I got off the Internet:
"If you have a real estate license, you know the definition of steering: the illegal funneling of home buyers to a particular area based on the desire to keep the makeup of that neighborhood the same or intentionally change it. Racial steering receives the most consumer complaints, but the practice is not acceptable for any reason, and it goes against Fair Housing laws. Your job is to match your buyers to the features of available properties, not to the racial (or other) makeup of the area."
So, the purple argument is just one reason. The OP could have someone ask her "Where do all the rich kids go to school?" By stating that they all go to XYZ school it would also be steering, would it not?
Correct me if I am wrong, because I really want to know.
If in doubt talk to your broker but I think many agents are just too worried that they are going to say the wrong thing.
Perhaps this is because there have been lawsuits (plural) on this very thing, where agents and brokers were sued for using schools for steering purposes?
As a Realtor, you cannot answer "subjective" questions. Some says, "I want to live in a safe neighborhood." Safe to one is not safe to another. You direct them to the city's website to find crime stats. You should have this as a standard because then you get the person looking in the $100k price range saying they want to live in a "safe" neighborhood, and sometimes (not all) you have to hold back a laugh because what do they really expect for a mere $100k?
Anything that calls for a specific opinion can be subjective, and I would memorize a script to say to them so if you ever have someone file charges against you for misinterpreting what you said, you need to show a pattern of directing people to outside info.
Perhaps this is because there have been lawsuits (plural) on this very thing, where agents and brokers were sued for using schools for steering purposes?
I am sure there have been those that have been guilty of steering.
That does not take away from the fact that some agents are so worried that they will say the wrong thing that they end up saying nothing.
This in effect alienates the buyer thinking they are getting no useful information out of the agent.
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