Triangle Area Real Estate News & Information

Although most real estate agents have the gift of gab, we are actually restricted by law on some subjects. There are some things we cannot talk about due to the Fair Housing Act. Off-limits topics consist mostly of demographical information, but the majority of agents avoid addressing the quality of the local schools as well. Despite the best of intentions, this information could be misconstrued as “steering.”

Commentary on school quality could end up directing buyers towards or away from certain areas based on race, ethnicity, religion, or other protected categories, and this can have serious consequences for the agent.

Agents usually want their buyers to independently research school districts where they are house hunting. So, what are the best resources for buyers to use when researching the local schools?

For Public Schools

I like to direct buyers to the school district’s official website. There you can find not only information on the schools within a district, but also general district news, budget numbers, and school initiatives. On the Public Schools of North Carolina website, you can look up the individual site for each district, and view the Education First NC School Report Cards. These report cards give information about an individual school’s student achievement, class size, teacher quality, and more. The NC School Report Card site is my favorite for hard data.

For Non-Public Schools

For buyers interested in private or independent schools, check out the North Carolina Division on Non-Public Education. Their website gives information on all types of non-public education (including home schooling) and has a wealth of resources and statistics. See also: my recent article about the laws on home schooling.

Consumer Ratings Websites

You might be wondering about consumer-focused websites like greatschools.org. This particular site does offer some useful tools and a lot of informational articles. There are sections on how to decide what qualities are important to you in a school, making the decision between public, private, and charter, and even looking up school district boundaries. However, the consumer reviews are a bit opinionated. While they certainly make for interesting reading, you do need to take them with a grain of salt. I highly encourage buyers to actually visit schools they are considering, and not making a decision based solely on a reviewer’s experience.

Real estate agents are a wealth of information about the towns and neighborhoods where they do business. However, fair housing laws prevent us from saying too much (and it’s often the stuff that buyers really want—and need—to know). So if your agent seems to be deflecting questions about things that could make or break your decision to buy, be sensitive to his or her position and use the above resources instead. Need advice on buying or selling a home? Get in touch with our team today! Send us a message online or give us a call at 919-659-5173.