Race / color / Fair Housing phrase guide
Is "diverse community" OK in a listing? It depends
Depends Context matters: fine in some uses, a problem in others. Both sides are explained below.
Why
Commenting on who lives in an area (even positively) describes people, not the property. Lists advise avoiding ethnic references. Usually safer to describe what's there (parks, transit, shops).
Safer wording
- vibrant
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- Long Island Board of REALTORS®: Fair Housing Advertising Word and Phrase Guidelines (Mar. 2025)
- HUD "Achtenberg memo": Guidance Regarding Advertisements Under §804(c), Jan. 9, 1995
Related phrases
Not legal advice. Word lists can't judge context, and laws differ by state and city. Rule race-diverse, ListingLint rules v2026.10.1.