Realogy Statement in Support of H.R. 1447

Realogy is proud to announce its strong and enthusiastic support for the Fair and Equal Housing Act of 2017 (H.R. 1447). This bill amends the Fair Housing Act (FHA) under the Civil Rights Act of 1968 and expands those protected against discrimination in the sale, rental, or financing of housing. Realogy has always supported the principles of the FHA – fair housing for all -- which in its current form prohibits discrimination based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, and disability. Amending the FHA would bring the law in line with the REALTORS® Code of Ethics of the National Association of Realtors and preclude discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

The following 22 states, as well as the District of Columbia, already prohibit housing discrimination on the bases of sexual orientation and/or gender identity: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin. However, there is currently no federal law that explicitly protects LGBT people from housing discrimination.

Consistent with our vision as a global real estate and relocation services leader, we believe all prospective homeowners should have access to housing without discrimination. This aligns with Realogy’s guiding principle of “opening doors” to homes for buyers regardless of where they come from, what they look like, how they worship or who they love. Realogy fully supports the expansion of FHA legal protections as a matter of basic human dignity and as a good business practice. According to Witeck Communications, approximately 7% in the U.S. self-identified as LGBT.

Realogy and its brands – ®, ®, Coldwell Banker Commercial®, ERA®, Sotheby's International Realty®, Better Homes and Gardens® Real Estate, Corcoran®, Citi HabitatsSM and ZipRealty® -- already actively promote, and are committed to, creating and fostering an environment of diversity throughout their respective organizations/franchise systems, and view diversity as a critical component to the on-going success of their business operations. Each Realogy owned and franchised office agrees to comply with all laws, rules and regulations applicable to the real estate industry, including without limitation, the requirements imposed by the Fair Housing Act.

Realogy began a journey more than 10 years ago to focus on external diversity marketplace efforts by forming partnerships with professional real estate associations whose ongoing missions are to improve the homeownership rates of various diverse groups including the LGBT community. Realogy and its brands are partners of the National Association of Gay & Lesbian Real Estate Professionals (NAGLREP) which advocates fair housing for the LGBT community.

Our employees and brand-affiliated representatives are prominent at diversity-focused industry conferences each year, where our executives, brokers and affiliated sales agents have frequently served as chairpersons, hosts, speakers, panelist and/or moderators. Monty Smith, NRT’s president of company generated business, sits on the Advisory Board of NAGLREP.

Realogy strives to be a leader in all aspects of the real estate industry through active engagement and advocacy. As the first major player in the real estate industry to support H.R. 1447, Realogy is demonstrating such leadership, one of its core values. Realogy encourages other participants in the real estate industry around the nation to choose to do the same, both as a matter of fairness and good business practices.