Your choice of 24 elective hours including required 3-hour Core and 3-hour Fair Housing courses
If you've had a brokers license for less than 2 years, this is the package for you. It includes all the requirements for brokers renewing for the first time. It includes a total of 90 hours, all required courses and elective credits of your choice. The included required courses are a 3 hour Core class, Advanced Practices and Real Estate Law. For your elective hours we let you choose the topics that interest you. Everything is state certified and certificates are available immediately on completion.
The first renewal package offers tremendous savings and you can choose from over 10 different topics for your elective credits. Finance, Contracts, and Property Management are just a few of the topics to choose from.
The Washington State required Core class is included and covers vital topics for real estate professionals. The course features information about recent legal changes and legislative issues being considered. It does a great job of getting you up to date on the things that are important to our state. We have included a number of videos in the Core class to highlight key topics and provide a variety in the presentation. We know you have to take it, but we want to make sure you also take away important information and are engaged along the way.
Washington Real Estate Fair Housing (3 Hr) (3 hrs) and (CORE) Current Issues in Washington Residential Real Estate 2022-2023 (3 hrs) and your choice of:
The Fair Housing Act of 1968 was the culmination of a movement to fight housing discrimination, and was passed on President Johnsons urging, a week after Martin Luther King, Jr. was killed. Its core ban made it illegal to refuse to sell, rent, or negotiate with any individual on the basis that the individual falls within the protected classes. Civil rights activists had been pushing to quickly enact the fair housing legislation before the funeral of Dr. Martin Luther King, and after a short House hearing, it was passed and sent to President Lyndon B. Johnson for his signature on April 11, 1968.
The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing because of:
The Fair Housing Act covers most housing. In very limited circumstances, the Act exempts owner-occupied buildings with no more than four units, single-family houses sold or rented by the owner without the use of an agent, and housing operated by religious organizations and private clubs that limit occupancy to members.
It is illegal discrimination to take any of the following actions because of race, color, religion, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, familial status, or national origin:
It is illegal discrimination to take any of the following actions based on race, color, religion, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, familial status, or national origin:
The Fair Housing Act makes it illegal to harass persons because of race, color, religion, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, familial status, or national origin. Among other things, this forbids sexual harassment.
In addition, it is illegal discrimination to:
Publishers and advertisers are responsible under the Act for making, printing, or publishing an advertisement that violates the Act on its face. They should not publish or cause to be published an advertisement that on its face expresses a preference, limitation or discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin. To the extent that either the Advertising Guidelines or the case law do not state that particular terms or phrases (or closely comparable terms) may violate the Act, a publisher is not liable under the Act for advertisements which, in the context of the usage in a particular advertisement, might indicate a preference, limitation or discrimination, but where such a preference is not readily apparent to an ordinary reader. Complaints are not accepted against publishers concerning advertisements where the language might or might not be viewed as being used in a discriminatory context.
For example:
HUD staff should not accept a complaint against a newspaper for running an advertisement that includes the phrase female roommate wanted because the advertisement does not indicate whether the requirements for the shared living exception have been met. Publishers can rely on the representations of the individual placing the ad that shared living arrangements apply to the property in question. Anyone placing such advertisements, however, is responsible for satisfying the conditions for the exemption. Thus, an ad for a female roommate could result in liability for the person placing the ad if the housing being advertised is actually a separate dwelling unit without shared living spaces.
Real estate advertisements should state no discriminatory preference or limitation on account of race, color, or national origin. Use of words describing the housing, the current or potential residents, or the neighbors or neighborhood in racial or ethnic terms (i.e., white family home, no Irish) will create liability.
Advertisements should not contain an explicit preference, limitation, or discrimination on account of religion (i.e., no Jews, Christian home). Advertisements that use the legal name of an entity that contains a religious reference (for example, Roselawn Catholic Home), or those which contain a religious symbol, (such as a cross), standing alone, may indicate a religious preference. However, if such an advertisement includes a disclaimer (such as the statement "This Home does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, handicap or familial status") it will not violate the Act.
Housing providers must make reasonable accommodations and allow reasonable modifications that may be necessary to allow persons with disabilities to enjoy their housing. Certain multifamily housing must be accessible to persons with disabilities.
Housing discrimination can take many forms. Some examples of housing discrimination.
John, who is a Black man, speaks to a prospective landlord on the phone about leasing an apartment. On the phone, the landlord seems eager to rent to John, but when John meets with the landlord in person to fill out an application, the landlord’s attitude is entirely different. A few days later, John receives a letter saying that his application was denied because of a negative reference from his current landlord. John is surprised because he never had problems with his landlord, and his landlord swears she was never contacted for a reference. John suspects that the real reason he was denied the apartment was because he is Black, so John files a complaint with HUD. HUD investigates and it turns out John is right – the landlord’s files show a pattern of discrimination because of race and color.
Jane has a Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8), but one month she falls behind on her portion of the rent. When Jane asks her landlord if he will give her a few more days, her landlord says yes but only if she will go out with him. Feeling she has no choice, Jane says yes. Over the next few days, Jane’s landlord sends her sexually explicit text messages even though Jane tells him to stop. Jane’s landlord tells her that if she does not go out with him again he is going to evict her and she will lose her voucher. Jane files a complaint with HUD because sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination.
John has three teenage children. John’s building has a patio with picnic tables, and one day John’s children decide to have lunch there with some of their friends. The next day, John receives a notice from the homeowners association informing him that the building rules say that the patio is for adult-use only and that he needs to make sure his children do not violate the building rules. John files a complaint with HUD because building rules that discriminate against children are a form of familial status discrimination.
Jane and John are filling out an application for a mortgage at their local bank. Their loan officer notices that Jane is visibly pregnant and asks whether she will be taking maternity leave. When Jane says yes, the loan officer informs the couple that they either have to apply without Jane’s income or wait until she returns from leave. “I’m sorry,” the loan officer says, “but I’ve seen too many women change their mind about going back to work.” Jane and John file a complaint with HUD because the bank’s policy discriminates based on sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation) and familial status.
Washington’s primary discrimination law is RCW 49.60.222, titled: Unfair practices with respect to real estate transactions, facilities, or services. The protected classes are: sex, marital status, sexual orientation, race, creed, color, national origin, citizenship or immigration status, families with children status, honorably discharged veteran or military status, the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with disability sex, marital status, sexual orientation, race, creed, color, national origin, citizenship or immigration status, families with children status, honorably discharged veteran or military status, the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability.
There are a number of activities that are forbidden specifically including:
To refuse to engage in a real estate transaction.
To discriminate against a person in the terms, conditions, or privileges of a real estate transaction or in the furnishing of real estate facilities or services.
To refuse to receive or to fail to transmit a bona fide offer to engage in a real estate transaction,
To refuse to negotiate for a real estate transaction.
To represent that real property is not available for inspection, sale, rental, or lease when it is, or to fail to bring a property listing to their attention, or to refuse to allow them to inspect a property;
To discriminate in the sale or rental, or make unavailable to any person; or to a person residing in or intending to live in a property after it’s sold, rented, or made available; or to any person associated with the person buying or renting.
To make, print, circulate, post, or mail, hire to be published a statement, advertisement, or sign, or application for a real estate transaction, or to make an inquiry in connection with a prospective real estate transaction, which indicates, directly or indirectly, an intent to make a limitation, specification, or discrimination related to the transaction.
To offer, solicit, accept, use, or retain a listing of real property with the understanding that a person may be discriminated against in a real estate transaction or when providing facilities or services.
To evict a person from a property.
To discriminate in the course of negotiating, executing, or financing a real estate transaction whether by mortgage, deed of trust, contract, or other instrument imposing a lien or other security in real property, or in negotiating or executing any item or service, including the issuance of title insurance, mortgage insurance, loan guarantee, or other aspect of the transaction.
Answering any information regarding demographics can raise potential fair housing issues later on. To be on the safe side, give your clients resources so they can access demographic information on their own. A lot of information is available by phone or on the Internet. If your client doesn't have access to the Internet, let them know they can access it at their local library.
Answer your client's question and tell the buyer how prices are trending in that area. You have access to information that shows what comparable homes are going for, and that information doesn't involve any fair housing issues.
During a 3-day neighborhood review (a period where a buyer can back out of an offer if there is something they do not like about the neighborhood), your client wants to make sure this huge investment is the right one. If you want to provide a professional service that stands out from the rest, prepare a resource packet that provides a list of online resources or telephone numbers for law enforcement agencies, schools, transportation services, census data, etc., for your local area. Your clients can do whatever homework they choose, and you don't have to worry about any potential fair housing implications.
Responding to someone who asks you where Chinatown is located (also known as the International District in Seattle) does not violate fair housing laws.
Consider a slightly different situation - say you receive an out-of-town call from a Chinese prospect and you only show them available units in Chinatown or areas you believe have a higher number of Chinese residents. That would be "steering" based on your client's protected class and would be a violation of fair housing laws.
Tell the seller that you cannot give her that information under fair housing laws and that the question is illegal. In a fair housing lawsuit with these facts, the court found that the real estate agent had "facilitated and participated" in discrimination simply by answering a seller's question about race, even though she immediately informed the seller that her question was discriminatory. In that case, the court imposed a civil penalty on the real estate agent to send a message that questions about race and color should remain unanswered.
If the seller refuses to deal with your clients because of their race, let your clients know that they can file a complaint of illegal discrimination under fair housing laws. You can provide important evidence in their case. You also may be able to file a complaint in this situation because you have been harmed in a real estate transaction - you lost the opportunity to receive a commission
Asking for photo IDs is okay, as long as you're consistent and flexible. Real estate agents have established a policy of requesting identification from prospects for safety reasons or to verify identity. Fair housing laws do not prohibit such a practice as long as the request is not based on a prospect's protected class. For example, requiring ID only from people who appear to be immigrants would be discriminatory. Requiring a specific form of photo ID - such as a driver's license - may be discriminatory because it can have a disproportionate impact on members of certain protected classes, such as some people with disabilities or immigrants from other countries who may not have driver's licenses.
The Washington Human Rights Commission provides definitions and advice on honorably discharged veterans and military status in housing under the Washington Law Against Discrimination (RCW 49.60). Discrimination based on veteran or military status is illegal and applies to those who served in any branch of the Armed Forces, including the National Guard and Reserves and received an honorable discharge or a medical discharge with an honorable record. It also applies to active or reserve members of the Armed Forces.
Under the Fair Housing Act, housing providers must not:
Possible signs of discrimination based on veteran or military status include:
Housing providers engaging in unfair practices, such as discriminating against someone for filing a complaint with the Human Rights Commission, should be reported. If a veteran or person with military status believes they've faced retaliation for filing a complaint, they should report this as well.
The Fair Housing Act protects individuals from discrimination based on religious background or creed. Housing providers cannot:
Exemptions exist for non-commercial housing owned by religious organizations that give preference to their members, provided no restrictions based on race, color, or national origin apply.
Potential signs of religious discrimination include:
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) advises using secular terms or symbols for holiday decorations. For example, a lit tree is acceptable, while a nativity scene may violate the Fair Housing Act.
Section 818 of the Fair Housing Act makes it unlawful to retaliate against anyone because a person has filed a discrimination complaint or has assisted someone with filing a discrimination complaint.
Intimidate any person because that person is engaging in activities designed to make other persons aware of, or encouraging such other persons to exercise, rights granted or protected by the Fair Housing laws.
Threaten any employee or agent with dismissal or an adverse employment action, or take such adverse employment action, for any effort to assist any person in the exercise of their Fair Housing rights.
Timing is an important factor in establishing retaliation. As such, housing providers are encouraged to be thoughtful in their responses and actions once they are made aware a tenant has filed a fair housing complaint. To avoid the perception of retaliation when other actions are necessary to address the tenant's behavior or situation (i.e. breaking community rules, damage to the unit, etc.), housing providers should:
Even if a housing provider believes the original complaint lacks merit, a housing provider cannot engage in activities that may be seen as threatening, intimidating, or having a negative impact on the individual who has exercised their fair housing rights.