Educational Guesswork: The Potentially Dicey Business of School Ratings In Real Estate Listings

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Common Source of School Ratings

All home-listing portals make use of the same source material for their school ratings. Here’s a jaw-dropper, folks— they don’t have a secret coven of teacher-markers behind the scenes grading school performances!

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Buyers’ Obsession With Ratings

Many homebuyers, starry-eyed and cleanse-juiced-up, follow these ratings religiously, tucking their kiddos-to-be into homes within the supposed ‘best’ school districts. Education is now akin to the latest designer bag with a new release every year.

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Fair Housing Violations Threat

Critics take a stand with monocles firmly in place, warning that the incorrect use of these school rating data could potentially lead to Fair Housing Act violations. Oops! Somebody just tipped over their Monopoly board.

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Why It Matters

If improperly used, school rating data could indirectly influence the redistribution of homebuyers, essentially creating housing discrimination. We’re not just talking about cheating at hopscotch here.

And now my friends, grab your popcorn for the

Hot Take

. The reliance on school ratings in real estate listings has turned home buying into a high-stakes game of bingo. Everybody’s hoping their squirt lands in a top-tier school district (bonus points if there’s a cute teacher involved). But what’s discussed less is the potential discrimination fallout that these ratings can cause. Hidden behind the curtains of Zillow and the likes, real estate has turned into the stage for the next Shakespearean drama, with star-crossed homebuyers, ratings, and schools under glaring spotlights. Methinks we have lost our way in the Elizabethan linguistic maze. Nevertheless, using these ratings with caution is the need of the hour. Turn us thou canst into gingerbread if we don’t comply!

Original article: https://www.inman.com/2023/11/22/homebuyers-demand-school-data-portals-are-grappling-with-the-risks/