Is Your Listing Legal?

"Great House For the First Time Buyer." Sound like a good lead-in for a real estate ad? It's not! It's more likely a preface to a lawsuit. Real estate ads must be crafted with equal measures of creativity and caution. Newspapers, homes magazine publishers, and real estate agents around the the country were rocked after a landmark $30,000 ruling against an Oregon multiple listing service for violations of Fair Housing Laws. Use of what is called "discriminatory language" in the listing information prompted a Fair Housing complaint and subsequent ruling and fine levied against the group. Some newspapers and groups have published seller advertising guides that offer lists of prohibitive words and language. I published an article on "Do's and Don'ts Of Advertising" as it relates to Fair Housing concerns.