8 Employment/Salespersons Profile * A total of 179 salespersons were employed by the 12 firms cooperating in the survey. Only seven of this total are Black, six of which are employed by one firm (Table 1). * Two nonBlack minorities were employed in separate offices among the 12 firms surveyed. * Of the 12 firms surveyed, eight responded that no specific effort had been made to hire Blacks or other minorities. Advertising * All of the 12 firms cooperating in the survey advertise sales and rentals in the two major daily newspapers (Post and Star) of the metropolitan Washington area. * None of the 12 firms surveyed advertise sales and rentals in minority oriented media. * None of the 12 has ever conducted a public service advertising campaign to promote a policy of open housing. * None use the Equal Housing Opportunity Slogan in classified ads. *Only three of the 12 firms surveyed use the Equal Housing Opportunity Logotype in display ads. (Note: Not all of the 12 firms use display ads.) * Only one of the firms uses the Equal Housing Opportunity Logotype on all signs posted on listed real estate property. Codes of Fair Housing Practices The Prince George's County Board of Realtors adopted (with minor revisions) the Code of Equal Housing Opportunities Practices drafted and proposed by the Housing Opportunities Council of Metropolitan Washington. They also adopted the Code for Equal Opportunity promulgated by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) in cooperation with HUD. 9 The HOC code is stronger and has more detailed provisions than the HUD-NAR Code.. In the plan the board agreed to make these codes available to all members, their employees, and persons applying for board membership. All members were to post the codes in prominent locations in all places of business. During the survey, the following observations regarding the code were made by monitors: Code of Equal Housing Opportunities Practices (Adopted in cooperation with HOC) * Code not posted in three of the 12 firms surveyed. * Code not posted in a conspicuous location at five of the 12 firms surveyed. Some office personnel said that they had never heard of the code and were not certain if it was in the office. Code for Equal Opportunity (Adopted by the Board in cooperation with NAR and HUD) * Code posted in all firms surveyed. * Code not posted in a conspicuous location at two of the 12 firms surveyed. CONCLUSIONS Assessment of Data The data collected and analyzed in this survey represent a rather small sample in proportion to the total membership of the Prince George's County Board of Realtors and provide only a general measurement of patterns and practices of its members. Nevertheless, the data are sufficient and are reasonably representative of the extent to which the affirmative action program is being implemented. The data collected clearly indicate that there is considerable room for improvement in the implementation of the plan. The board as well as its member firms are urged to increase efforts to fully implement each provision of the plan. RECOMMENDATIONS 10 1. Issue Public Statement of Board's Open Housing Policy A vigorous public information campaign should be launched 2. Increase Employment Opportunities for Minorities as Salespersons 3. 4. Specific attention should be given to increasing the number of Black persons on the sales force and other personnel categories within real estate firms. The findings of this survey clearly indicate the lack of Black and other minority salespersons in real estate firms in the county. These findings serve to support the findings of previous studies conducted by this agency on this subject.* Initiate Active Recruitment of Minority Brokers Increased efforts should be made to invite minority brokers and salespersons to become members of the Board. Maintain Practices Which Conform to Federal Advertising Section 804 (c) of Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of * "Black Employment in Real Estate Sales" (August 1974) and "Racial Employment Patterns in Real Estate Sales" (March 1973). These two previous studies documented the extent to which Black persons are employed in real estate sales in the metropolitan Washington suburban real estate industry. The findings of both studies indicate that insignificant numbers of Blacks are employed in the real estate firms of the Washington metropolitan area. The findings indicate the existance of a highly segregated industry. 11 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. Prominently Display All Equal Housing Opportunities Codes The two Codes of Fair Housing Practices adopted by the board are not being prominently displayed by members in their respective places of business. In some instances at least one code was not displayed at all. Initiate Regular Monitoring and Reporting To encourage use of the plan, the board should institute a procedure for regular monitoring and/or reporting on the part of member firms. Use of Housing Opportunities Committee The Housing Opportunities Committee should be encouraged Include Equal Housing Opportunity in Regular Meetings Use Regular Public Relations and Include EHO Include with the ongoing public relations program to build the Realtor image information about equal housing opportunity. Cooperate with Citizens' Groups Citizens are interested in the healthy development of their neighborhoods and county. A cooperative relationship with those groups interested in ensuring that equal housing opportunity be available to all home seekers should be established. Initiate a Procedure for Obtaining Subscriptions of Acquiring subscriptions to the plan serves at least two purposes. One, it provides the opportunity to publically declare ones intent to implement the plan. Two, it serves to facilitate the evaluation process. |