APRIL 2021
is FAIR HOUSING MONTH

2021 marks the 53rd anniversary of the 1968 landmark Fair Housing Act. Each year, Realtors® recognize the significance of this event and reconfirm our commitment to upholding fair housing law, as well as our commitment to offering equal professional service to all in their search for real property.
Fair Housing is more than a list of Do's and Don’ts, Rights and Penalties, and Mandatory Continuing Education

As stewards of the right to own, use and transfer private property, fair housing protects our livelihood and business as REALTORS® and depends on a free, open market that embraces equal opportunity.

REALTORS® recognize the significance of the Fair Housing Act and reconfirm their commitment to upholding fair housing law as well as their commitment to offering equal professional service to all in their search for real property.

NAR’s Fair Housing Action Plan, abbreviated ‘ACT,’ emphasizes (A)ccountability, (C)ulture Change, and (T)raining in order to ensure America’s 1.4 million REALTORS® are doing everything possible to protect housing rights in America.
Source: National Association of REALTORS® (NAR)
FAIRHAVEN:
A Fair Housing Simulation
 
NAR has launched several educational resources over the past year in affirming its Fair Housing Action Plan, which emphasizes Accountability, Culture Change, and Training to ensure REALTORS® are doing their part for equal housing opportunity.

Fairhaven.realtor, an online simulation training program, takes you through the experience of selling homes in the fictional town of Fairhaven. You'll learn to walk in the shoes of a home buyer facing discrimination and be reminded of practices to adopt in your daily business.

Bias Override: Overcoming Barriers to Fair Housing is a video that, in about 54 minutes, takes you through the unconscious bias that we all encounter and offers strategies for keeping your interactions bias-free.

 Source: National Association of REALTORS® (NAR)
Fair Housing Declaration

I agree to:
  • Provide equal professional service without regard to the race, color, religion, gender (sex), disability (handicap), familial status, national origin, sexual orientation or gender identity of any prospective client, customer, or of the residents of any community.
  • Keep informed about fair housing law and practices, improving my clients’ and customers’ opportunities and my business.
  • Develop advertising that indicates that everyone is welcome and no one is excluded;, expanding my client’s and customer’s opportunities to see, buy, or lease property.
  • Inform my clients and customers about their rights and responsibilities under the fair housing laws by providing brochures and other information.
  • Document my efforts to provide professional service, which will assist me in becoming a more responsive and successful REALTOR®.
  • Refuse to tolerate non-compliance.
  • Learn about those who are different from me, and celebrate those differences.
  • Take a positive approach to fair housing practices and aspire to follow the spirit as well as the letter of the law.
  • Develop and implement fair housing practices for my firm to carry out the spirit of this declaration.


Source: National Association of REALTORS® (NAR)
Duties to the Public
Article 10

REALTORS® shall not deny equal professional services to any person for reasons of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity. REALTORS® shall not be parties to any plan or agreement to discriminate against a person or persons on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity. (Amended 1/14)

REALTORS®, in their real estate employment practices, shall not discriminate against any person or persons on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity. (Amended 1/14)

• Standard of Practice 10-1
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 nor shall they engage in any activity which may result in panic selling, however, REALTORS® may provide other demographic information. (Adopted 1/94, Amended 1/06)

• Standard of Practice 10-2
When not involved in the sale or lease of a residence, REALTORS® may provide demographic information related to a property, transaction or professional assignment to a party if such demographic information is (a) deemed by the REALTOR® to be needed to assist with or complete, in a manner consistent with Article 10, a real estate transaction or professional assignment and (b) is obtained or derived from a recognized, reliable, independent, and impartial source. The source of such information and any additions, deletions, modifications, interpretations, or other changes shall be disclosed in reasonable detail. (Adopted 1/05, Renumbered 1/06)

• Standard of Practice 10-3
REALTORS® shall not print, display or circulate any statement or advertisement with respect to selling or renting of a property that indicates any preference, limitations or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity. (Adopted 1/94, Renumbered 1/05 and 1/06, Amended 1/14)

• Standard of Practice 10-4
As used in Article 10 “real estate employment practices” relates to employees and independent contractors providing real estate-related services and the administrative and clerical staff directly supporting those individuals. (Adopted 1/00, Renumbered 1/05 and 1/06)

• Standard of Practice 10-5
REALTORS® must not use harassing speech, hate speech, epithets, or slurs based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity. (Adopted and effective November 13, 2020)


Source: National Association of REALTORS® (NAR)
National Association of REALTORS® (NAR)
Code of Ethics Training Requirement
Current Cycle: Jan 1, 2019 through Dec 31, 2021

NAR's Board of Directors recently approved a change to the Code of Ethics training requirement, extending it from every two years to every three ears. This extends the current cycle deadline from Dec. 31, 2020, to Dec. 31, 2021.

REALTORS® are required to complete ethics training of not less than 2 hours, 30 minutes of instructional time. The training must meet specific learning objectives and criteria established by the National Association of REALTORS®.

Failure to complete the required periodic ethics training shall be considered a violation of a membership duty which will result in suspension of membership for not less than thirty (30) days. On March 1, 2022, the membership of a member who is still suspended as of that date will be automatically terminated.

The deadline is December 31, 2021 to fulfill this requirement.

If you have questions on whether you have fulfilled the Code of Ethics requirement, please feel free to email DBirkner@SEBrealtors.com
Thank you to our 2021 SEBAR Affiliate Partners ...

 Diamond Partners
Michigan Title Insurance Agency, Inc.
Rick Smith, Adam Drobet, Julie Wery
Pillar to Post
Steven Peterson

 Ruby Partners
First American Title Company
Frank Lucarelli, Angie McNeely
First Merchants Bank
Nicole Dandron, Nicholas Dunford, Aaron Mason, Howard Roberts, Susan Roppel
Simple Mortgage
Dawn McCarty
 
Gold Partners
Accuspect Home Inspection Company
Dale Raines
Capital Mortgage Funding
Peter Zuk, Becky Alley
First National Home Mortgage
Mary Katsiroubas
Hondros College
Kevin Pasch
InsideOut Inspections Plus
Lori Pavlika, Nikki Mayes


 Silver Partners
2-10 Home Buyers Warranty
Mark Light
America's Preferred Home Warranty
Tyler James
Downriver Profile
Robbin Moyer
Farm Bureau Insurance® - Robert J. Roll Agency
Robert Roll
Greenstone Farm Credit Services
Brian Young
Hassett Title Company
Chris Cosby, Jennifer Fountain, Dan Hassett, Doug Hassett, William Hassett
Land Home Financial Services
Bob Schivelbein, Edward Tilk
Lawyers Title of Monroe
Goran Cepo, Ann Hammack, Kendan Myers
Mortgage 1
Walter Tyslicki, Gary Swinney
Nations Lending
Tom Ciotti
Seagate Inspections Inc.
Jim Johnson
State Bank
John Ansara
TLC Community Credit Union
Sean Armstrong, Kristina Frank, Alycia Nichols
Today Magazines
Gina Guarisco
Trenton Trib
Beth Imes
Turn Key Title Agency LLC
Samuel Cummings
Union Home Mortgage
Kristian Bezeau, Jacob Boes, David Gano, Shannon Henegar Tom Ziegler
University Lending
Dan Voran, Michael Van Dusen, Donna Ferguson

We are grateful for your continued support of SEBAR!
Southeastern Border Association of REALTORS®
Shannon Harner, RCE, AHWD, e-PRO, CEO/Association Executive
Donna Birkner, e-PRO, Downriver Office Manager
Lisa Horvath, e-PRO, MLS Specialist
Jessica Lapp, e-PRO, Membership & Administrative Manager

Monroe County Office
125 Cole Road
Monroe, MI 48162
734-242-6866

Downriver Office
Horizon Business Center West
20600 Eureka Road, Suite 510
Taylor, MI 48180
734-287-8060

Both Offices are Open Monday - Friday / 8:30 am to 4:30 pm
by appointment only at this time