The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on Friday urged real estate professionals to share neighborhood school and crime data with prospective homebuyers after websites like Redfin and Trulia stopped during the Biden administration over racial discrimination concerns.
“Buying a home is one of the most significant decisions a family will ever make,” HUD Secretary Scott Turner said in a statement. “Americans should not be left in the dark about vital facts like neighborhood safety or school quality.
“HUD is making clear that real estate professionals can openly and lawfully provide this information in an equal and consistent manner to American families.”
A 2021 directive to HUD from former President Joe Biden ordered the agency to use the Fair Housing Act to prevent “practices with an unjustified discriminatory effect” and “eliminate racial bias and other forms of discrimination in all stages of home-buying and renting,” as part of the administration’s push for racial equity.
While not directly citing the Biden memo, within a year, several real estate listing platforms, including Redfin, Trulia and Realtor.com discontinued the practice of sharing neighborhood crime data on their websites.
The National Association of REALTORS published material during the Biden years instructing salespeople to not directly answer client questions about neighborhood safety and school quality, over concerns it could violate the Fair Housing Act.
In a “Dear Colleague” letter, HUD’s Assistant Secretary of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity Craig Trainor notified state and local housing groups and real estate professionals of the Trump administration’s position that sharing such data with house hunters will not be viewed as a violation of federal law.
“Contrary to publicly available materials from industry leaders … real estate agents and brokers do not violate the Fair Housing Act merely by discussing with prospective homebuyers or renters the prevalence of crime or the quality of schools in neighborhoods,” Trainor wrote.
“Americans deserve access to the information they need to make informed judgments about where to live and raise a family,” he added. “Under the Biden Administration, however, real estate brokerages and listing services began denouncing neighborhood crime data as potentially ‘reinforcing racial bias.’”
Trainor explained that the Biden-era memo has been “superseded by President Trump’s April 23, 2025, Executive Order, ‘Restoring Equality of Opportunity and Meritocracy.’”
The assistant secretary further noted that if the Fair Housing Act “made it illegal for real estate agents to discuss schools or crime in a neighborhood, grave First Amendment concerns would arise.”
He also recommended that real estate groups reconsider the use of “self-appointed DEI ‘experts,’” who may be incorrectly interpreting the Fair Housing Act.
“Industry guidance instructing realtors not to answer client questions related to crime or schools does a disservice to purchasers, renters, real estate agents, and fair housing principles,” Trainor wrote.
Asked about the new guidance, a spokesperson for Realtor.com indicated that the company is committed to “full transparency.”
“We have always championed open markets and full transparency,” the spokesperson told The Post. “ As part of this commitment, we have commenced a review of reliable crime data sources.”
National Association of REALTORS spokesperson said the group is “carefully reviewing the letter.”
“We appreciate the ongoing dialogue and guidance from the administration on this important issue,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “As the leading voice for real estate professionals, the National Association of REALTORS® brings deep expertise in fair housing and how it is applied in practice every day.
“We are carefully reviewing the letter and its implications for our members and the consumers they serve. We look forward to continued engagement with the administration and other stakeholders to ensure clear guidance that supports both compliance and the ability of REALTORS® to effectively serve clients in every ZIP Code across the country.”
Reps for Trulia and Redfin did not immediately respond to The Post’s requests for comment.
