Blacklisting and discrimination in real estate: very real practices in certain agencies

Voices are also being raised to denounce certain illegal practices, which also go against the ethics of the profession of real estate agent: blacklisting and discrimination.

Investor blacklisting: a taboo subject with serious consequences

While the fall in property prices is expected to continue (source), some investors try to stand out from the crowd by multiplying aggressive offers.

The concept is simple: to find the ideal property, especially when they have cash, they make a series of visits and make offers significantly lower than the asking price. The investor Renaud Liris, for example, admits to having made this "beginner's mistake", several years ago, by positioning himself with offers at -30 or even -40% (source).

But real estate agents don't like this method at all!

As they are required to transmit all offers to sellers, they find themselves placed in a delicate position. Some owners begin to doubt their skills and no longer trust them. Moreover, it should be remembered that almost half of sellers refuse to lower their prices! (source)

“Result: when an overly aggressive investor is known in a sector, real estate agents blacklist him for fear of losing their mandate. They go so far as to refuse to show him the goods and the nuggets of the market will then escape him. »

The best practice to adopt is then to find a happy medium, by adopting a more thoughtful approach to negotiation. Investors in particular have an interest in justifying their proposals and being very vigilant about the various parameters that concern the property to be sold (e.g.: type of agent, wording of the offer, etc.).

Blacklisting of tenants: a growing phenomenon

Since 2007, the CNIL has been warning about the existence of lists of personal data targeting bad-paying tenants. Totally illegal, since they are contrary to the Data Protection Act, these “black lists” are established without obtaining the consent of tenants and are not regularly updated.

On Facebook, several private groups bring together landlords and owners who disclose confidential information: names, dates of birth, photos, etc. (source).

This situation can quickly become problematic: sometimes it is enough to have failed to pay rent on time to find yourself stuck for life! The targeted tenants then have real difficulties accessing housing.

However, since a 2007 decree concerning the "enforceable right to housing", they must be informed of the existence of these files and their recipients, while having the right to oppose their use for commercial purposes.

The special case of discrimination

Did you know that almost half of agencies (48,5%) agree to have discriminatory practices? (source: SOS-Racisme, March 2022).

A figure that calls attention... In view of the issues, SOS-Racisme has also signed a partnership with the National Real Estate Federation (Fnaim) to monitor the evolution of the situation by setting up regular monitoring.

This association is not the only one to sound the alarm: in March 2023, the Abbé Pierre Foundation denounced certain HLM offices, in particular "in the municipalities most favored by their social composition and their situation economic", for ethno-racial discrimination (source).

Tribune by Nicolas Augé, founder of Actual Immo (LinkedIn).