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Can real estate agents talk about crime and schools?

"Is it safe?" and "Are the schools good?" are two of the first questions buyers ask, and for years many agents were trained to dodge them. In April 2026, HUD said agents may share neighborhood crime and school information. The catch is how you share it. This guide covers what changed, what still gets agents in trouble, and a repeatable way to answer.

What changed in 2026

On April 24, 2026, HUD's Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity issued a Dear Colleague letter saying that giving buyers and renters information about neighborhood crime rates and school quality is not, by itself, a Fair Housing Act violation, when it is "shared consistently without discriminatory intent." HUD also told the fair housing agencies it funds not to bring cases based only on that practice. (HUD press release)

NAR's FAQ on steering, crime and schools (June 2026) says the same thing in practical terms: give every client the same kinds of neighborhood information, stay objective and factual, and skip personal opinions and hearsay. (NAR FAQ)

What still gets agents in trouble

Steering is still illegal: directing a buyer toward or away from an area because of race, religion, national origin, familial status, disability or another protected class.
Coded comments. "You'd fit in better over there" or "that area is changing" can be treated as evidence of intent, even when the topic is crime or schools.
Inconsistency. Giving crime data to some clients and not others, or only when a certain area comes up, is exactly what "consistently" rules out.
Opinions dressed as facts. "It's safe" is your judgment. "Here is the reported crime data for both ZIP codes" is information.

A simple way to answer every time

Give the same information to every client, for every area they ask about.
Use named, public sources and show where the numbers come from.
Compare places side by side instead of describing one place in isolation.
Let the client draw the conclusion. Your job is to inform, not to rank neighborhoods.
Keep a record of what you shared.

How Consilium Compare fits

Consilium Compare for Real Estate Agents gives you a branded page where a client compares one ZIP you cover with any other ZIP. Every client gets the same report. Crime, environmental, flood, healthcare and school sections always stay visible; you can collapse them but you cannot hide them. That makes "consistently" the default, not something you have to remember.

Each report includes the proprietary Crime Concern Score and Environmental Concern Score (0–10), built on public data from sources such as the FBI, FEMA, EPA and CMS, plus school, flood, healthcare, climate and walkability context. Reports give context, not recommendations. Your dashboard shows which ZIP codes each client compared, so you have a record.

Why not just ask an AI chatbot? Chatbots can hallucinate: they sometimes produce crime rates or school figures that look real but are made up, with no source. Handing a client an invented number is worse than handing them none.

Plans start at $39/month. See plans for agents View a sample report

FAQ

Can I tell a buyer a neighborhood is safe?

Share the data, not the verdict. Show reported crime information for the areas they are considering and let them decide.

Can I recommend a school district?

Share school information for every area the client is weighing. Avoid ranking areas for them, and never tie school comments to who lives there.

Does the HUD letter override state law?

No. It describes how HUD will enforce the federal Fair Housing Act. State and local fair housing laws, and private lawsuits, still apply. Check with your broker or an attorney.

Is this legal advice?

No. This page is general information as of October 2026. Ask your broker or a fair housing attorney about your situation.

General information, not legal advice. Last reviewed October 2026.