Hi, Everyone!
I’ve been serving on an NAR Fair Housing Work Group since early 2017 to help NAR commemorate the 50th Anniversary of Fair Housing, which is this year. In fact, on April 11, 2018, the Fair Housing Act turned 50 — it’s been 50 years since President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Fair Housing Act into law.
We’ve come a long way, but we still have so far to go to combat discriminatory practices in housing. Local and State REALTOR® Associations, along with the National Association of REALTORS®, are commemorating the 50th Anniversary of Fair Housing this month and all year long through educational events for their members and the public, but what can we do as individuals? As I said in our work group, how can we make the discussion about fair housing sexy and popular to talk about?
ACTION ITEM – Communicate with your clients about Fair Housing…now and every month!
Shoot a video, send an email, and educate them about the protected classes- how they are defined and what they mean- and what to do if they feel they have been discriminated against. Learn more here.
What I’m reading – The Color of Law by Richard Rothstein.
“Masterful…The Rothstein book gathers meticulous research showing how governments at all levels long employed racially discriminatory policies to deny blacks the opportunity to live in neighborhoods with jobs, good schools, and upward mobility.” – Jared Bernstein, Washington Post
Music I’m listening to – MxPx. Here’s why: lead vocalist Mike Herrera and his wife, Holli, were the final homebuyers on Chip and Joanna Gaines’ super-popular last episode ever of Fixer Upper (honestly, the only reason to watch HGTV, IMHO). Joanna had the lyrics to the song he wrote for his wife cut into metal wall art (awwwwww!) – and I mean, who doesn’t love a good punk love song? Take a listen here and maybe (re-)discover a new fave!
Tip I’m sharing – Do you use Facebook Advertising on your Facebook Business Page? Facebook is being investigated (again) for potential discriminatory practices in how it uses data AND makes data available to users for things like Facebook Ads. Read more here about how you can ensure your Facebook Ads comply with the Fair Housing Act.
Article I’m pondering – In light of Facebook’s recent troubles and the 50th Anniversary of Fair Housing this month, I’ve been thinking a lot about how we use data — what we collect from our clients, how we use the data on sites like Facebook, etc. For an interesting perspective, I recommend you check out “Ads that Don’t Overstep” (by Leslie K. John, Tami Kim, and Kate Barasz in Harvard Business Review, January/February 2018).
What are some of your goals, to-dos, challenges, and questions for the remainder of 2018? I’d love to hear about them and how I can help you reach them! Email me and let me help to keep you accountable!
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Thanks for reading – see you next month!
