As a realtor, would you take on gay clients?

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I have a realtor who is a Christian. I really like him and he does a great job.

I have two friends who are gay and they are married to each other. They asked me the other day if I would recommend my realtor. I said absolutely. Then I thought about it more. Maybe the realtor doesn’t “condone their lifestyle” and may not be the best choice in dealing with them. It’s a sucky situation overall because I think they should be treated fairly.

So far, I told my friends I think the realtor is a Christian and he might have a problem working with them… but I also don’t want to stereotype the Christian either!

What a bummer situation. What do you guys think?

I am thinking (unfortunately) that they need to pick up the lastest copy of the gay newspaper in the area and look for realtors whose ad’s show up in the paper there…

Feels like segregation.
 
I would not in a business situation inquire as to the sexual orientation of clients. I would in this context be interested only in data needed for their mortgage application. The broader question is would I help two cohabiting people who are not married buy a house together. There is no such thing as gay marriage, so in this instance, if I had moral qualms about aiding and abetting such a “lifestyle” I would refer them to another agent.
 
Sina said:
I have two friends who are gay and they are married to each other.
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They are NOT married. Regardless of what they may wish to call their “situation”.

You should have approached the real estate friend first to ask if he wanted them as clients, not the other way around. Now that each knows about the other it will be up to them to decide of they want to do business together.

~Liza
 
I put “married” so that you can understand the laws we have in Canada and that according to the Crown, they are granted the right to be called married.

I know according to the church, they are not and cannot be.

Anyways, I am much more friends with them than the realtor so that is why I have only so far discussed with them.

Good point on the fact that this situation really isn’t any different than assisting co-habiting couples from finding a place together.
 
puzzleannie said:
I would not in a business situation inquire as to the sexual orientation of clients. I would in this context be interested only in data needed for their mortgage application. The broader question is would I help two cohabiting people who are not married buy a house together. There is no such thing as gay marriage, so in this instance, if I had moral qualms about aiding and abetting such a “lifestyle” I would refer them to another agent.
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That is what happened to them the first time they bought a place together - the agent said they would rather refer them to someone ( someone who was in their same community ).
 
Love the sinner, not the sin.

To not include them because of their sexual orientation is not right and not what Christ taught.

You mentioned the fact about the realtor being Christian, and that’s enough.

In today’s business world, sexual orientation is neither asked for, nor required.

But as far as morality goes, if the Church accepts Homosexuals, and loves them, why shouldn’t we? They are people, it’s their lifestyle that’s questionable…just like co-habitating heterosexual people’s lifestyle would be questionable to the Church, but they would still be welcome as human beings.

If asked about your views straight out, air the views of the Catholic Church that you as a Catholic belong to.
 
Go ahead and refer them…it’s not your call as to whether or not your friend accepts them as clients.
 
Sina said:
I have a realtor who is a Christian. I really like him and he does a great job.

I have two friends who are gay and they are married to each other. They asked me the other day if I would recommend my realtor. I said absolutely. Then I thought about it more. Maybe the realtor doesn’t “condone their lifestyle” and may not be the best choice in dealing with them. It’s a sucky situation overall because I think they should be treated fairly.

So far, I told my friends I think the realtor is a Christian and he might have a problem working with them… but I also don’t want to stereotype the Christian either!

What a bummer situation. What do you guys think?

I am thinking (unfortunately) that they need to pick up the lastest copy of the gay newspaper in the area and look for realtors whose ad’s show up in the paper there…

Feels like segregation.
Click to expand...
Yes I would as their sexual preference has no bearing on the real estate deal.
 
AeroChunky said:
Love the sinner, not the sin.

To not include them because of their sexual orientation is not right and not what Christ taught.

You mentioned the fact about the realtor being Christian, and that’s enough.

In today’s business world, sexual orientation is neither asked for, nor required.

But as far as morality goes, if the Church accepts Homosexuals, and loves them, why shouldn’t we? They are people, it’s their lifestyle that’s questionable…just like co-habitating heterosexual people’s lifestyle would be questionable to the Church, but they would still be welcome as human beings.

If asked about your views straight out, air the views of the Catholic Church that you as a Catholic belong to.
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We should love gays and try to help their problem. However I think the question is, if the realtor takes this gay couple on ,would he be “confirming” and supporting somebodys sins because he is helping them buy a house together that they will be co-habiting together in(living in sin). In this way the realtor could be partly responsible and could be a mortal sin for himself(because he is helping a sinful relationship)

I do feel bad for the gay “couple” because they might feel rejected if they realtor decides not to go with them, and thus they might get a bad distorted view of christianity which may effect their potential conversion later on in life…So it really is a hard situation because theres a good chance the realtor will be commiting a mortal(or at least a great venial) sin by helping this couple…
 
Sina said:
I have a realtor who is a Christian. I really like him and he does a great job.

I have two friends who are gay and they are married to each other. They asked me the other day if I would recommend my realtor. I said absolutely. Then I thought about it more. Maybe the realtor doesn’t “condone their lifestyle” and may not be the best choice in dealing with them. It’s a sucky situation overall because I think they should be treated fairly.

So far, I told my friends I think the realtor is a Christian and he might have a problem working with them… but I also don’t want to stereotype the Christian either!

What a bummer situation. What do you guys think?

I am thinking (unfortunately) that they need to pick up the lastest copy of the gay newspaper in the area and look for realtors whose ad’s show up in the paper there…

Feels like segregation.
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With Canada’s laws, would the realtor in question even have a choice in the matter?
 
markomalley said:
With Canada’s laws, would the realtor in question even have a choice in the matter?
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yes no business person is required to accept all clients who approach him, he simply says I am not able to help you, without giving a reason, and refers them to someone else. where you get in trouble with discrimination laws is giving a reason, where the reason is against the law.
 
Renton405 said:
I do feel bad for the gay “couple” because they might feel rejected if they realtor decides not to go with them, and thus they might get a bad distorted view of christianity which may effect their potential conversion later on in life…
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Unless the distorted view they would get happens to be the *real *view… If your following sentence is true.
So it really is a hard situation because theres a good chance the realtor will be commiting a mortal(or at least a great venial) sin by helping this couple…
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If it really is a sin to help that couple, then they ought not to help them. And if that’s what they do, the view the couple gets of Christianity won’t be false at all.
 
puzzleannie said:
yes no business person is required to accept all clients who approach him, he simply says I am not able to help you, without giving a reason, and refers them to someone else. where you get in trouble with discrimination laws is giving a reason, where the reason is against the law.
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Just hope they don’t read these forums. 😉
 
Just for interest/information sake: these gentlemen come from Christian households. One even has a father who was a pastor. They don’t go to church anymore though but they understand the Christian viewpoint.

I haven’t heard of any cases of discrimination from a commissioned sales perspective in Canada relating to same sex attraction/marriage.

I do know that a Knights of Columbus hall in Vancouver was rented by a Lesbian couple for their wedding reception and when the Hall retracted the rental, they took them to court.
 
Sina said:
I have a realtor who is a Christian. I really like him and he does a great job.

I have two friends who are gay and they are married to each other. They asked me the other day if I would recommend my realtor. I said absolutely. Then I thought about it more. Maybe the realtor doesn’t “condone their lifestyle” and may not be the best choice in dealing with them. It’s a sucky situation overall because I think they should be treated fairly.

So far, I told my friends I think the realtor is a Christian and he might have a problem working with them… but I also don’t want to stereotype the Christian either!

What a bummer situation. What do you guys think?

I am thinking (unfortunately) that they need to pick up the lastest copy of the gay newspaper in the area and look for realtors whose ad’s show up in the paper there…

Feels like segregation.
Click to expand...
I think cooperating with another’s sin is a really bad idea.
 
Yes, I would work with them. To not do so would be unjust discrimination in my opinion.
 
  1. There are areas in which it is not unjust discrimination to take sexual orientation into account, for example, in the placement of children for adoption or foster care, in employment of teachers or athletic coaches, and in military recruitment.
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  1. Homosexual persons, as human persons, have the same rights as all persons including the right of not being treated in a manner which offends their personal dignity (cf. No. 10). Among other rights, all persons have the right to work, to housing, etc. Nevertheless, these rights are not absolute. They can be legitimately limited for objectively disordered external conduct. This is sometimes not only licit but obligatory…
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After reading this it seems clear there is nothing unjust in not providing help in locating a house. I would think it would be wrong to encourage their behavior.
 
So if two men approached the realtor he should assume they are homosexual?

Wouldn’t that be like assuming every man in a monastery is homosexual?

I would also point out that the realtor has a contract with a client, and if he turns away people able to buy, he better be willing to face financial penalty. If he is unwilling to live up to the contract he should not sign it.

And depending on the locality. Turning them away could be a violation of Fair Housing laws and regulations. Those vary. If a realtor is not willing to live by the law, he should move, or change profession, otherwise he is just likely to suffer financial ruin and loss of his license to practice.

Lots of heterosexual nonmarried couples buy houses today too. Should a realtor ask to see a marriage license on the basis he doesn’t want to contribute to sin by selling them a place for their illicite sex?

How about if the person is going to use the house to sell drugs?

If selling a house contributes to sin, I’m not sure where you get to draw the line.

JJ
 
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