Real Estate Marketing by Christina Inman | October 24, 2009Now, before I get started, please keep in mind that I am not a lawyer, nor should you consider what you are about to read as legal advice. I am just trying to pass something along that I think you should all be aware of.
In case you haven’t heard, on October 5, the Federal Trade Commission issued an update to its Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising–the first update since 1980!
This update is mainly concerned with two things; first, stopping fake blog sites where the blogger is a totally made-up person with a totally made-up story designed to sell something (you know, those fake weight loss blogs, teeth whitening blogs, and money-making blogs we’ve all seen time and again), and second, how advertisements can use testimonials and endorsements.
Real Estate Marketing by Molly Castelazo | October 16, 2009
You’re sitting down to write a property listing. You know my first rule of marketing: Make it personal. But how do you do that – and stay within Fair Housing guidelines?
The Fair Housing Act, explained
The purpose of the Fair Housing Act is to ensure that a person can buy or rent a house or apartment wherever they want regardless of their race, ethnicity, gender, religious preference, disability, family status or national origin. In some areas, discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is also prohibited.
Unfortunately the Fair Housing Act doesn’t actually list the words you are and are not allowed to use in your marketing communications. The language you can and cannot use while remaining faithful to the spirit of the Act is up for interpretation.
I received the 
Joshua Dorkin
