Serve, Don’t Sell™: Fair Housing in Practice
Most fair housing violations don’t start with intent — they start with a routine question, a familiar recommendation, or a word choice no one flagged. This course covers federal and New York State protections, the Anti-Discrimination Disclosure Form, and the everyday practices in advertising, communication, and client interaction where compliance quietly breaks down. You’ll learn to serve every consumer with equal access, objective criteria, and the confidence that your process holds up to scrutiny.
Course Details
Instructor
Shelley Hoffman
Level
Intermediate – Continuing Education
Duration
3 hours core CE
Delivery
In-Person or via Zoom
Course Content
Course summary
Fair housing is more than a legal requirement. It is an essential part of serving the public with fairness,
consistency, professionalism, and respect.
This course examines the history and purpose of fair housing laws while helping real estate professionals
recognize how discrimination can occur during everyday real estate activities. Students will review
federal and New York State fair housing protections, the New York State Housing and Anti-
Discrimination Disclosure Form, advertising and communication practices, common compliance
mistakes, and situations involving buyers, sellers, landlords, tenants, and other real estate professionals.
Through guided discussions, practical examples, and scenario-based activities, students will learn how
seemingly routine words, questions, recommendations, and business practices may create fair housing
concerns. The course applies the Serve, Don’t Sell philosophy by encouraging licensees to provide equal
access to information and services, remain focused on objective property-related criteria, and help
consumers make their own informed housing decisions.
Learning objectives
- Describe the historical housing practices and events that contributed to the development of federal
and New York State fair housing laws. - Identify the protected classes recognized under federal and New York State fair housing laws.
- Explain the purpose, timing, delivery, and documentation requirements associated with the New
York State Housing and Anti-Discrimination Disclosure Form. - Differentiate between lawful, objective real estate services and actions or statements that may
constitute steering, redlining, blockbusting, discriminatory advertising, unequal treatment, or
selective service. - Analyze common real estate communications involving neighborhoods, schools, safety, crime,
demographics, disability, family composition, and other fair housing considerations. - Evaluate advertising, social media content, digital marketing practices, and consumer
communications for potential fair housing concerns. - Apply fair housing principles to interactions with buyers, sellers, landlords, tenants, applicants, and
other real estate professionals. - Demonstrate appropriate professional responses when a consumer or client makes a discriminatory
request or asks for information that could create a fair housing concern. - Develop consistent business practices that provide equal access to properties, information,
communication, and professional services. - Formulate objective, property-focused responses that allow consumers to make their own informed
housing decisions. - Assess real-world fair housing scenarios and determine the appropriate legal, ethical, and
professional course of action. - Integrate the Serve, Don’t Sell philosophy into fair housing practices by prioritizing fairness,
consistency, equal opportunity, and consumer choice.
Your instructor — Shelley Hoffman
Shelley Hoffman, ABR, GRI, SRS, CBR, AHWD, MREID
Shelley Hoffman, owner of Real Estate, I Love it, is an Approved NYS Instructor and NY State licensed real estate broker who lives in Central New York. Her goal is to help real estate professionals grow their businesses while maintaining their professional standards.
What’s included
3hrs of instruction
Counts toward NYS CE
Digital resources provided
Who this is for
This course is for established real estate professionals interested in how fair housing works in practice.
Interested? Sign up to be notified when this course is available.
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