What it is
Fair Housing Guard reads every piece of marketing copy MLS Genie touches and tells you what to change before it goes out. It applies to copy the AI drafts and to copy you write or edit yourself — which is where most of the real exposure sits, since a tool that only guards its own AI leaves the agent unprotected the moment they type.
It is always on, on every plan. There is no setting and nothing to configure. A guardrail an agent can switch off is not a guardrail.
Where it applies
- Luxury listing copy, section text, and photo captions
- Campaign email and SMS
- Social posts, including per-platform variants
- Review replies published under your brokerage name
- Market report and CMA narratives
- The website chat widget and Ask Genie
It cannot check listing remarks that arrive from the MLS. Those are another agent’s words, and editing them would be a different problem.
Warnings and notes
Findings come in two levels, and the difference matters.
A warning means a protected class is involved — one of the seven federal classes, or a class protected under state law. These are legal risk.
A note means the wording is worth changing but breaks no statute: wealth targeting (“great for rich people”), subjective claims about an area (“desirable neighborhood”), and NAR terminology (“master bedroom”). Notes never stop you publishing.
The split is deliberate. Flagging “master bedroom” as loudly as “no children” would teach you to click through both without reading.
What the law protects
The Fair Housing Act, 42 U.S.C. §3604(c), makes it unlawful to publish any advertisement indicating a preference, limitation, or discrimination based on race, colour, religion, national origin, sex (including sexual orientation and gender identity), familial status, or disability.
California adds source of income, age, marital status, ancestry, citizenship and immigration status, primary language, military and veteran status, and gender expression. Fair Housing Guard checks all of them.
The one test
Describe the property. Never describe the person who might live in it. Almost every violation comes from crossing that line, including well-meant ones — “great for families” and “safe for gay people” are both stating a preference about who belongs there.
Publishing with warnings
Publishing a luxury listing, sending a campaign, posting to social, or posting a review reply with warnings asks you to confirm first. Nothing goes out until you choose: go back and edit, or send as written. Saving a draft never interrupts you, and notes never trigger the confirmation.
What it does not do
It reduces risk. It does not certify anything, it is not legal advice, and nothing it produces should be described as “Fair Housing compliant”. You and your broker remain responsible for everything you publish.
The full guide — including links to HUD, NAR and the California Civil Rights Department — is at mlsgenie.com/fair-housing-guard.
