Okay, we've discussed letting buyers know if there's a sex offender in the neighborhood they want to live in, but turn that around...
You have a client who needs a place to move, but has very specific requirements, because her husband is a sex offender getting ready to be released from prison. They cannot live within 1000 feet of a school or daycare, cannot live in a neighborhood with little children, etc. I am looking for a property for them, but had to ask my broker whether I need to disclose his status to agents whose listings I was showing. We ended up calling MARs legal hotline, and they said that this side had not been "tested" in court yet, but that it would happen. He said that, as long as we are buyers agents or transaction brokers, there was no reason for us to disclose the fact, and that, if we DID disclose it, we would be in violation of our agency duties....
So, knowing that some neighbor down the line is gonna find out about his record and be mad about us selling him a home nearby, how would you handle it?

oh boy. Now I know how attorneys feel when they are called upon to defend Jeffrey Damer or Ted Bundy.... Damned if you do and damned if you don't.

Life is too short and I can't be all things to all people, so I would walk. Wouldn't touch it! I would have to tell her, sorry I can't help you.. See ya, hate to be ya!

Oh wow. I don't think sex offenders are a protected class, so wonder if you can just decline offering services. I think I'd step out of the transaction after consulting with a lawyer.

It's just a moral thing for me. I couldn't work with a sex offender once I learned of the conviction. I'd tell them I have an ethical obligation to represent them to the best of my abilities and do not think I can do this. I'll then try to find an agent who can help, but would not take a referral fee.

Document everything. Maybe you can provide a written statement to them with broker and lawyer approval. Tough one.

Whew! No way! They are not protected, so if it were me, I would decline to represent them.

That one sounds like a train wreck. I'd have to dump him before I told him what scum bag I thought he was.....

In the last year I have wasted a lot of time with disloyal buyers. As a result, I choose buyers to work with carefully. I don't care what you look like, how much money you have, or if I dislike them. If I sense disloyalty I'm gone. In this situation you most likely will have 100% loyalty and would be surprised if the wife will want to explain her situation to too many others. For that reason, if she seemed very serious and normal, nice type I would work with her. It's not our job to like our clients, it's our job to sell. Everyone has a right to choose who they work with and a right to their opinions. I'm just saying I most likely would.

Try explaining that to the little girls next door.

If your not comfortable in your beliefs representing them then you just got your answer.

Refer them out,what if a house you sold them something happened 1 or 2 years later to someone how would you feel?

The scary thing is there are probably more clients we deal with that we know nothing about that could be thiefs,murderers,rapists,bombers we sell or get them a house and never know it.

At least when you know you have a choice whether to represent or not,that's how i look at it.

This sex offender thing is probably going to get a lot worse in the future for the convicted buyer. Imagine how the immediate neighbors would react if you knowingly sold them your own listing in your farm area? Still no problem with that? How about if one of your buddies (who thinks like you) knowingly sells them the listing next door to your home. Starting to feel uncomfortably? I would. It's a very serious problem that sets people off quickly. No, they probably won't ever connect the agent, but you will always carry that baggage if something does happen.

Just to ad a little more to consider on this subject, consider this. In Michigan there are 4 types of Criminal Sexual Conduct ie: sex offenses. They are separated by a few factors.
1. Age of victim.
2. Relationship to victim.
3. Type of contact= touch etc.
4. Force used ie: Battery, coercion, blackmail etc.
There have been multiple stories in the last year about female school teachers engaging in sexual relations with young students. They are now convicted sex offenders.
States have different ages for "consensual realtions". You could have relations with a person of consensual age in one state and be arrested in another for the act. You now become a sexual offender.
I am not defending offenders, just offering another side to think about.

My business is built on clients that I like, trust and would work with again. My career is more than a paycheck; it's my reputation and ability to feel happy with choices I make.

I do respect your opinion and understand, but I just don't think I would be able to represent this client to the best of my ability. I just won't work with someone I can't respect or feel good about helping.

This brings home one of the main reasons I love this business.


I only have to work with people I want to work with.

I would walk away from this transaction.

Do you check the registry each time before you accept a new client? They are not required to verbally tell you. You could have already helped someone like this and not know it.
After reading this thread I think we need tuffer laws on sex offences. Maybe the state could find them new homes in prison.
I understand how everyone feels on this subject and have to agree sex offenders are a group that make people very uncomfortable.
Its not our job to pass judgement on others. Everyone needs a place to live even bad people. Yes I would help the sex offender find a home. I do hope he or she obeys the law and hurts no one.I do not try to educate my clients in matters of politics if I disagree either. Would not try to tell them how to raise thier kids properly. I do not take on the resposibility for others actions. I guess we could say 20% of sex offenders never brake the law again so why not help them? Of course who are the ones that actually obey the law? I do not know about you but I am not a extension of the law and should only act in the interest of selling or finding home for clients. My personal views on the people are not relevant to the job at hand.
"Judge not, that ye be not judged." Who did I quote? I am a realtor not a judge.

BUT, I know what this guy did. I knew them both from a previous job. While it wasn't right, it wasn't anything that I would worry about if he lived close to me and my kids(cheated on his wife, while they were in a trial separation, with a girl he met at a bar- fake ID said she was 22, she was 16). But he has this label now, has spent 3 years in prison (he also bought her drinks, and she was a minor, so there were other charges, too, and in return for her testifying against him, she got no charges), they have to sell their home because it's too close to a daycare, and he cannot even be with his grandkids unless another adult is present at all times...
Yet the neighbors of whatever I sell them, will eventually see that he's registered, and freak out, because the database doesn't give specifics, it just gives photo, name, age, address, and crime they were convicted of "statutory rape" gives people the idea that it was something a lot worse than it was. Legally, since they are not a protected class, I can walk away from this. Morally? Since I know what he did and feel like he's getting too much punishment for it, I have no real problem working with him. I know they will stay loyal, because the wife is almost ashamed to mention it to anyone else, and came to me because of the prior working relationship...

Good luck is all I can say. Personally, if I knew what he did, and considering my daughter is 15--I couldn't and would not work with them. I'd explain to my broker why, and she could hand it off to another agent.

I may come off a little too strong on this one but, we have a one of these felons half a block away and my daughter is 13. It is constantly in the back of my mind.

Wow... if that were here in Indiana his only charges would have been buying her drinks. Not that I agree with it or anything... but that is the law here.

Personally, I think it would be hard to find a house that fits what they have to move to. There are schools on every corner, children on most every street... and just because there might not be one now, what happens if in the future somebody moves next door with a lot of kids? Would they have to move again?

Unless they're planning to move to the country I see this as almost impossible to find them suitable housing.

If this person harmed someone you love, you'd still help them? If they harmed your mother, daughter, sister, nephew, etc., you'd let it go and take a paycheck?

Some of us take this to heart and that's why we can't help someone who harmed someone ELSE's loved one. It doesn't have to be my own. I can't represent this person because I'd realize that they hurt another human being in a horrible way. I'd feel disgusted by them.

Bad people need a place to live, so they're going to have to work with an agent who doesn't feel as angry, sad, digusted or upset about what they did. I feel I'm doing the client a favor by not working with them.

I was on the opposite end of this situation. I had the listings, another agent sold it. A couple of weeks after closing I noticed in the paper a list of the local sex offenders that had registered a new address. There was my listing. I had a couple of other agents in our office mention it to me, but I have not heard from the neighbors.

I don't know how I would have felt if I had known this information ahead of time.

This is a no brainer for me. No I would not work with them. The best I could do for them is pray.

Lots of prayer from me on this one, too. I feel very strongly against child molestors, believe me. But I don't believe what he did was an intentional crime against a child. I've seen some 14 year old girls that could pass for 22, and use that to get what they want. It's a 2 edged blade... It's come down to looking in the country, but we are having trouble getting his parole officer to answer basic questions (like what if someone moves in next year and opens a daycare next door?)
It will all work out as it is supposed to...

Dee
"If this person harmed someone you love, you'd still help them? If they harmed your mother, daughter, sister, nephew, etc., you'd let it go and take a paycheck?"

I hope the laws get more tough and the state gives them a prison cell. Its not a question of paycheck at all. Its a question of being fair. How would I know who is going to do what? By the way I had a incident in my family. I think the death penalty for child molesters is fine. I just cant predict the future of any individual. With this logic I should help no one. Anybody can turn out to be a violent person hurting another. I must admit I cannot tell a good person from bad my crystal ball is broken.

"Some of us take this to heart and that's why we can't help someone who harmed someone ELSE's loved one. It doesn't have to be my own. I can't represent this person because I'd realize that they hurt another human being in a horrible way. I'd feel disgusted by them."

I do take this to heart allot more than you know. I am concerned for others. So we know for sure who is going to hurt who? That is my problem no way of knowing. If they just would execute a child molester then we do not have to find them a home. You have to admit eventually even if no one helps the molesters they will end up in a home someplace. The real solution is tougher laws in my view.

"Bad people need a place to live, so they're going to have to work with an agent who doesn't feel as angry, sad, digusted or upset about what they did. I feel I'm doing the client a favor by not working with them."

Well I understand how you feel and agree these folks are scum but the laws need to get allot harder before we can feel safe. Something happened to my son with a family member. Did you know 80% of child molesters know the victim? Sure I want to kill the guy but that is against the law. I have to ask myself how to best protect my son and raise him. 100 years ago this would not be a problem becuase child molesters where hung by a rope until dead. I wonder who in there great wisdom decided we can rehabilitate these type of offenders. They are 100% wrong these guys always do it again.

I agree with most of the most that I personally would not work and let someone in the office take over.

How comfortable and confident you will working for this client?

Good Luck