'DIRTY' WORDS IN REAL ESTATE ADS

By JEREMY OLSHAN



Here are seven dirty words you can't say in real-estate ads: exclusive, quiet, private, bachelor, kids, walking and playroom.

Despite repeated warnings in state-mandated training sessions that such language could violate anti-discrimination laws in the context of selling or renting an apartment, the seemingly innocuous terms continued to appear in ads.

So this week, real-estate giant Corcoran officially banned more than 200 potentially "offensive" words and even installed new software that makes it impossible for brokers to type them into their ads, according to a memo e-mailed company-wide.

Laws such as the Fair Housing Act were written to prevent discrimination against buyers or renters on the basis of their race, gender, occupation, religion, sexual orientation, marital status or disability.

Now, due to a slew of recent court cases and increased enforcement, companies such as Corcoran are taking pains to strip terms such as "bachelor pad," which may discriminate against couples, and the terms "couples" and "family-friendly," which may offend singles.

The Corcoran list considers mentions of nearby churches and synagogues as sinful, while the word "professional" is out because an ad cannot discriminate based on occupation.

The company also excised the term "exclusive" because it may be interpreted as meaning racially exclusive. The reasoning behind some of the banned words - like "quiet" and "safe" - could not be readily determined.

The guidelines have some Corcoran employees frustrated.

"By saying 'walking distance,' I would be discriminating against those who are unable to walk," Christine Toes, a Corcoran vice president, wrote on the blog urbandigs.com. "Hopefully, I can still use 'close proximity to public transportation.' "

A spokeswoman for Corcoran said Toes' views did not represent those of the company.

Officials from the city Commission on Human Rights and the state Division of Housing did not return calls for comment.

Brokers are required to take Fair Housing training to get their license, and refresher courses are regularly given. But despite this, potentially discriminatory information such as the identity of the local school district and mention of amenities such as playrooms continue to find their way into ads.

Ensuring that real estate is available to all regardless of age, race or occupation is a noble cause, but the new interpretations of the law seem to extend such protections to the extreme, Toes said.

It is not against the law for brokers to describe a coffin-sized studio as "cozy."

jeremy.olshan@nypost.com

Source: http://www.nypost.com/seven/03122009/news/regionalnews/dirty_words_in_ads_159197.htm