Here are the Words Realtors are Not Allowed to Say (2024)

FAQs

What words can realtors not say? ›

Real estate agents could face fines as high as $110,000 for using certain wrong words in their listings, and C) how innocuous many of the words are on HUD's Fair Housing 150-Banned Words/Phrases List, such as: Board Approval, Couple, Disabled, Employed, Empty Nesters, Exclusive, Executive, Families, Family, Golden Age, ...

Phrases and Words To Avoid

“No pets” is okay; “no children” is not. It is also illegal to advertise for a “Christian roommate,” or to indicate any other type of religious preference. HUD provides Fair Housing advertising guidelines as to what is acceptable in Fair Housing advertising.

So for agents, answering any inquiries about them can be risky, even if a buyer's asking out of curiosity. This may include questions such as, “Do families with children live in this area?”, “Is this a good place to raise kids?”, or “Is this a good place for me as a single?” and other similar ones.

A lowball offer, or an offer price that's significantly lower than the listing price, is often rejected by sellers who feel insulted by the buyers' disregard for their property.

Unethical agents will often use fraudulent misrepresentation to win a listing, sell a property faster, or push for a property to sell faster. Such actions violate ethical standards and are illegal in many jurisdictions.

Housing providers who refuse to rent or sell homes to people based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, or disability are violating federal law, and HUD will vigorously pursue enforcement actions against them.

block·​bust·​ing. : profiteering by inducing property owners to sell hastily and often at a loss by appeals to fears of lowered values because of threatened minority encroachment and then reselling at inflated prices. Note: Many states have statutes prohibiting blockbusting by real estate agents.

Familial status covers: families with children under the age of 18, pregnant persons, and. any person in the process of securing legal custody of a minor child (including adoptive or foster parents).

Why I failed as a realtor? ›

Three common mistakes that agents make are inadequate prospecting, failing to market properties in ways that lead to timely sales, and not following up with clients to maintain relationships. Real estate agents must be motivated because generating leads and properly marketing listings takes creativity and hard work.

REALTORS® use a variety of marketing tools to market themselves and their listings. If you're running into communication problems with your agent, first find out if you're calling or emailing their current and preferred phone or email. If you're calling their office line, they may not check that voicemail box often.

Ask them if there's a good time for you both to talk, so they can be mentally prepared for the rejection. During your scheduled call, tell your real estate agent you've chosen to work with someone else and thank them for their time. They may ask if you've signed an exclusivity agreement with someone else.

Say goodbye in writing

Once you've decided to dissolve the partnership, nicely inform your agent you no longer want to do business together—and be sure to do it in writing. (Unless you signed a buyer/broker agreement with a REALTOR®, you are not legally required to stick with the agent.)

Market Fluctuations

Nothing stays the same in real estate. This places agents at the mercy of interest rates, inventory, and the economy itself. In a slow market, most agents struggle to make sales – while better economic times can bring bidding wars, which can make it equally difficult to close a deal.

Why is cold texting illegal for real estate agents? In North America, cold texting is a form of spam texting. If your real estate leads don't explicitly sign up for your promotional texts, you could open your business up to legal consequences.

As a salesperson, you are required to follow all rules associated with the DNC Registry. Additionally, The National Association of Realtors® (NAR) states, “Realtors® cannot call people who are on the Do-Not-Call Registry to entice them to buy or sell a home or property.”