For real estate agents / Steering

What is steering in real estate?

Steering is guiding buyers or renters toward or away from areas based on a protected characteristic: race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, or national origin. It is illegal under the Fair Housing Act. It can be obvious, such as only showing certain areas, or subtle, such as describing neighborhoods differently to different clients.

The law in brief

The Fair Housing Act, 42 U.S.C. § 3604, prohibits discrimination in the sale or rental of housing, including representations about who belongs in a neighborhood. HUD enforces the Act. State and local laws may add protected classes. This is general information, not legal advice.

Examples of steering

Volunteering who lives in an area, or who is moving in.
Saying "you'd be more comfortable" in a different neighborhood.
Commenting on schools in a way that is really about who attends them.
Showing different listings to similar clients because of a protected characteristic.
Answering "is it safe?" with a personal opinion that sends one client away and another toward the same streets.
Discouraging a showing, or skipping a listing, for a reason you would not apply to every client.
Highlighting crime or schools for some buyers and not others.
Suggesting a client look "on the other side of town" when they asked about a specific house.

What NAR's Code says

Standard of Practice 10-1 says: "When involved in the sale or lease of a residence, REALTORS® shall not volunteer information regarding the racial, religious or ethnic composition of any neighborhood." It also says REALTORS® shall not engage in any activity which may result in panic selling or steering. Read Article 10 on NAR's Code of Ethics. The quote is only the prohibition. It is not advice to discuss demographics.

Can realtors talk about crime and schools?

The consistent approach is to point clients to objective public sources and to give every client the same information. The site's crime and schools guide cites HUD's April 2026 letter on that practice. Nothing here is a promise that a particular habit is legally safe. When you are unsure, ask your broker or counsel.

How to answer neighborhood questions

Acknowledge the question.
Do not characterize the neighborhood or the people who live there.
Share the same public sources with every client: police data, FEMA, EPA, and the district's own boundary tools.
Document what you provided, so the answer is the same next time.

Where Consilium Compare fits

Every client can open the same sourced report for the same ZIP codes. That is a consistent, documented answer rather than an opinion. Agents can start a 14-day free trial. Offices can look at brokerage plans.

This is general information, not legal advice.

FAQ

What is an example of steering in real estate?

Telling one buyer they would be more comfortable in a different area, while showing a similar buyer the first area, is steering when the difference is a protected characteristic. So is volunteering who lives in a neighborhood.

Is steering illegal?

Yes. The Fair Housing Act makes it illegal to steer people toward or away from housing because of race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, or national origin. State law may add protected classes.

Can a realtor tell me if a neighborhood is safe?

An opinion about whether an area is safe can slide into steering. Point every client to the same public sources, such as police data, FEMA maps, and EPA records, and do not characterize the neighborhood.

Can realtors talk about school ratings?

Comments that tie schools to who attends them are a steering risk. Factual boundaries and the same public sources, offered the same way to every client, are the consistent approach. This is not a promise that any script is legally safe.

What is the difference between steering and blockbusting?

Steering guides a buyer or renter toward or away from an area. Blockbusting pushes owners to sell by suggesting that people of a protected class are moving in. Both are prohibited by the Fair Housing Act.