A Florida real estate agent recently said that a client had fired him, in part, because he hadn’t disclosed that the property the client was interested in was next to the home of a sex offender.
The agent said he regularly advises buyers to visit neighborhoods in person, to check in with police departments and to review websites. He said he told the buyer, however, that he wasn’t legally able to reveal that a sex offender lived near the property.
But as of June, that appears to only have been true in New Jersey and Delaware, an investigation by Inman has found. Buyer’s agents at that time could have legally shared information on sex offenders with buyers in all other states, according to a review of fair housing laws, interviews with real estate attorneys and research conducted for the National Association of Realtors (NAR). Full Article
I think California and every other state should also ban real estate agents from having to share sex offender information. This circus keeps going around and around. As soon as one bad law is stricken down by higher courts, another filth peeks its head into law! Janice…..help! I had no idea we even had this kind of legal jumbo mumbo when it came to real estate.
Well—-if they are worried about sex offenders, they should look them up on the appropriate registered citizen web site. They will find name and address and photos, et cetera.
If they are too lazy to do that, they should stop complaining and go back to watching television.
Article is paywalled. Can you bring up major points of the story? Thanks.
I am in a unique position. As a software developer, i’ve built a platform on top of something called RETS, a standard to which MLS data is now available. This platform, paired with my company’s content management system provides unique opportunities for agents, brokers, boards and NARs to be ahead of the game.
It’d be a damn shame if some of the people in Floriduh suddenly don’t have access to the technology, because they pi**ed off a registered citizen who wrote the code and owns the rights to the technologies.
Sharing truthful statistical evidence with Realtors about Registered Citizens’ “danger” to communities would be an excellent way to make a difference for RSOL. Realtors are concerned about laws that may affect them as well as their clients’ concerns, and these are brought up at their weekly meetings. Usually someone (a Real Estate Affiliate) comes to speak (pitch their services) for 15 minutes (also providing something like low-calorie donuts). Even a flyer aimed at educating Realtors could be distributed. Believe me, as a former Realtor, I know they don’t want to be liable for more disclosures way outside their level of expertise.
What is wrong with these people? It is a simple matter of checking information that is available online regarding where a registrant might be living. Top that off with there is nothing to stop a registrant from moving into a neighborhood after this idiot moves in. Truly can’t they find something else to concern themselves with.
Rather ironic, isn’t it? The public supported Registries, but now it will impact them directly when they attempt to sell their house (if an offender lives nearby). It’s estimated that they will lose 10%-15% on the value of their property due to the nearby presence of a Registered Citizen.