Small Talk with Clients costs Real Estate Agent Big Bucks
A Boston woman filled out an application to lease an apartment from a Massachusetts real estate agent. The agent noticed the woman had an accent so, to make conversation, he asked her, “Where are you from?” She replied “Venezuela” and nothing else was said. The woman had no credit history so the landlord declined her application. The real estate agent never mentioned to the landlord that the prospective tenant was from Venezuela. She applied again a short while later and was declined again by the landlord because of lack of credit history. Although she found another place to live, she was determined that the reason for her rejection was the real estate agent’s question about where she was from. She filed a complaint with the Boston Fair Housing Commission saying the question was discriminatory and caused her to suffer from anxiety, fear, and sleeplessness. Under Massachusetts law and Boston Fair Housing Commission Regulations, it is illegal for any licensed real estate b