Coldwell Banker Allegedly Violated Honest Housing Legal guidelines and Discriminated Towards Potential Homebuyers of Shade
NEW YORK – New York Legal professional Basic Letitia James as we speak introduced a settlement with Coldwell Banker, stopping the actual property brokerage’s alleged discrimination towards Black, Hispanic, and different homebuyers of colour on Lengthy Island. Following an investigative report into housing discrimination performed by Newsday, the Workplace of the Legal professional Basic (OAG) opened an investigation into Coldwell Banker and different actual property brokerages. The investigation discovered that Coldwell Banker brokers could have subjected potential homebuyers of colour to totally different necessities than white homebuyers, directed homebuyers of colour to properties in neighborhoods the place residents predominantly belonged to communities of colour, and in any other case engaged in biased conduct. As a part of the settlement introduced as we speak, Coldwell Banker can pay $20,000 in penalties and $10,000 to Suffolk County to advertise enforcement of and compliance with honest housing legal guidelines. Coldwell Banker can even make honest housing trainings obtainable to all of its brokers and supply a discrimination criticism type on its web site. This settlement marks the fourth motion Legal professional Basic James has taken to cease unlawful housing discrimination at Lengthy Island actual property brokerages.
“There may be zero tolerance for discrimination of any type in New York state,” mentioned Legal professional Basic James. “My workplace’s investigation into Coldwell Banker uncovered a persistent sample of potential homebuyers receiving totally different remedy due to their race. Discriminating towards folks due to race isn’t just shameful — it’s unlawful. Housing is and at all times shall be a human proper, and my workplace will proceed to deal with these pervasive and discriminatory practices statewide.”
The OAG opened an investigation into a number of actual property brokerage companies in 2019 after Newsday uncovered their discriminatory practices. The investigation concerned evaluate of 5 paired exams performed on Coldwell Banker brokers — two from Nice Neck and one every from East Setauket, Bellmore, and Massapequa Park.
In a single occasion, brokers warned white potential homebuyers concerning the numerous racial make-up of the neighborhood however didn’t share the identical feedback with Black and Hispanic potential homebuyers. In one other documented case, an agent was requested to be proven properties close to Backyard Metropolis by each a white potential homebuyer and Black potential homebuyer. The agent confirmed the white homebuyer listings in neighborhoods that have been 83 % white and discouraged them towards properties in Freeport, a extra racially numerous neighborhood. Conversely, the identical agent confirmed the Black homebuyer a number of properties in Freeport. In one other neighborhood, an agent instructed a white potential homebuyer “you don’t actually know in sure areas what you’re going to get subsequent door,” when talking a couple of extra numerous neighborhood, however didn’t share the identical criticism with a Black potential homebuyer.
In August 2022, Legal professional Basic James and Governor Hochul introduced settlements with Keller Williams Larger Nassau (KWGN), Keller Williams Realty Elite (KWRE), and Laffey Actual Property (LRE) for partaking in discriminatory practices that violated state and federal honest housing legal guidelines. The OAG will proceed to work to guard all New Yorkers from illegal discrimination. New Yorkers who’ve been subjected to discriminatory housing practices are inspired to report such conduct to OAG at civil.rights@ag.ny.gov.
This matter was dealt with by Assistant Legal professional Basic Christina Bedell of the Nassau Regional Workplace, beneath the supervision of Civil Rights Bureau Deputy Bureau Chief Travis England and Assistant Legal professional Basic in Cost of the Nassau Regional Workplace Valerie Singleton. The Civil Rights Bureau is part of the Division for Social Justice, led by Chief Deputy Legal professional Basic Meghan Fake. The Nassau Regional Workplace is a part of the Division for Regional Affairs, led by Deputy Legal professional Basic Jill Faber. Each the Division for Social Justice and the Division of Regional Affairs are overseen by First Deputy Legal professional Basic Jennifer Levy.
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