Fair Housing and Broker Management in Tennessee
Tennessee licensees must follow federal and state fair-housing law and the office-management standards taught in the required broker course. This chapter covers the Tennessee Human Rights Act protections and the broker's management duties.
Tennessee Human Rights Act and Fair Housing
Tennessee prohibits discrimination in housing under the Tennessee Human Rights Act, which works alongside the federal Fair Housing Act. Licensees may not treat consumers differently, steer them, or refuse service based on protected characteristics such as race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or familial status. Advertising must not express a discriminatory preference. The principal broker is responsible for making sure the firm's practices and marketing comply.
Office and Broker Management
The 30-hour Office/Broker Management body of knowledge underlies the broker tier. It covers forming and operating a firm, written office policies, supervising affiliated licensees, and maintaining required records. A principal broker must ensure that each licensee is properly supervised and that the firm meets TREC's requirements for a place of business, advertising, and recordkeeping.
Advertising and Consumer Protection
Tennessee regulates real estate advertising to prevent misleading claims. Advertising must identify the firm and must not be false or deceptive, and the principal broker is accountable for the firm's advertising, including that placed by affiliated licensees. These office-management and advertising duties, combined with fair-housing compliance, are tested more heavily at the broker level because the broker carries responsibility for the whole firm.