West Virginia Real Estate Broker Exam — All Questions

West Virginia fair housing law, alongside the federal Fair Housing Act, prohibits discrimination in the sale or rental of housing based on protected characteristics. A licensee who refuses to show homes in a neighborhood to buyers of a particular race is engaging in:

• a.Lawful client screening
• b.A permissible marketing strategy
• c.Ordinary dual agency
• d.Illegal discrimination that can result in discipline and liability✓

Refusing to show or steering buyers based on race is unlawful discrimination under West Virginia fair housing law and the federal Fair Housing Act. A licensee who does so faces discipline by the Real Estate Commission and potential civil liability. Brokers must ensure their firm's practices comply with fair housing requirements.

Directing prospective buyers toward or away from particular neighborhoods based on a protected characteristic is a fair housing violation known as:

• a.Commingling
• b.Steering✓
• c.Novation
• d.Subrogation

Steering is guiding buyers toward or away from neighborhoods based on race, color, religion, national origin, or another protected characteristic. It is prohibited under fair housing law. Brokers are responsible for training and supervising affiliated licensees so the firm does not steer clients.

A West Virginia broker's responsibility under fair housing law includes:

• a.Adopting office policies and supervising affiliated licensees so the firm's practices comply with fair housing requirements✓
• b.Allowing each salesperson to set personal rules about which clients to serve
• c.Screening buyers by protected class to match neighborhoods
• d.Ignoring advertising content as long as listings are accurate

A broker must ensure the firm complies with fair housing law by adopting nondiscrimination policies, supervising licensees, and reviewing advertising so it does not express a discriminatory preference. Broker Management and fair housing overlap here: the broker is accountable for the firm's compliance.