Texas real estate agents will refer to ‘master rooms’ as ‘primary’ on home sales lists due to old terminological references to slavery
- The Houston Association of Realtors has quietly decided to remove the use of the word “master” from their sales listings and replace it with “main”
- The change came after members complained about the word master references to slavery when they were used to describe a property’s master bedroom or bathroom.
- The association made the change to its Multiple Listing Service on June 15, after an advisory group received nine requests for the change
- Real estate agents can still reuse the word master as deemed appropriate in marketing materials and for public speaking, the association says.
The Houston Association of Realtors has quietly decided to allow its members to abandon the use of the word “master” from their sales lists after some complained about their references to slavery.
The association made the decision, which affects its website and the Multiple Listing Service, or MLS, on June 15. Instead, listings began to use the word ‘primary’ in references to master bedrooms and bathrooms in rental and sale properties.
The change came in response to requests made by members of the association, according to a statement from the association.
The Houston Association of Real Estate Agents quietly decided to stop using the word “master” from their sales lists after members complained about their references to slavery.
However, the association will continue to allow the use of the word “teacher” in marketing materials and in speech when deemed appropriate, reports the Houston Chronicle.
A DailyMail.com review of the association’s website on Friday revealed listings with the change, including one for a house on Burdine Street that lists a ‘master bedroom.’
But the same list goes back to the use of the word ‘maestro’ in a description of the property, which sells for between $ 215,000 and $ 250,000.
A DailyMail.com review of the association’s website on Friday revealed listings with the change, including one for a house on Burdine Street that lists a ‘master bedroom’
The same listing again uses the word ‘master’ in a description of the property, which sells for between $ 215,000 and $ 250,000. The association still allows the use of the word ‘teacher’ in marketing materials and in speech when deemed appropriate.
Tiffany Curry, a black Houston real estate agent and owner of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, said the use of the word master “represents a stigma and a place in time that we must move forward,” in an interview about the change with the Chronicle.
“As a progressive and diverse city, Houston should reflect its citizenship,” he said.
The suggested word change also came after the police-related murder of George Floyd on Memorial Day sparked Black Lives Matter protests across the country.
Tiffany Curry, a black Houston real estate agent and owner of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, said the use of the word master “represents a stigma and a place in time that we must move forward,” in an interview about the change with the Houston Chronicle
Protesters have called for an end to police brutality and systematic racism after the 46-year-old father of five died while being arrested by former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.
Chauvin, who is white, was charged with the Floyd murder after pressing his knee against the black man’s neck for nearly 9 minutes, leading to his death.
Floyd’s presence was caught on video by a viewer, sparking outrage over the murder and the change of sparks, including the removal of Confederate statues and the renaming of brands deemed to be of racist origin, including mixing pancakes and Aunt Jemima’s syrup.
The suggested word change also came after the police-related murder of George Floyd on Memorial Day. The 46-year-old father of five appears in a video image of his murder with former police officer Derek Chauvin pressing his knee against his neck for nearly nine minutes.
Floyd is not mentioned in the association’s statement, which was sent to its members, explaining that “the MLS Advisory Group periodically reviews the terms and fields used in the MLS to ensure they are consistent with the current market environment.” .
“Updates to the primary bedroom and primary bathroom were among the nine requests for review submitted by members and considered at the most recent meetings,” the association explained.
The association said it had received a “general message” from its members about the continued use of the word master in the listings, and said they were “concerned about how other agents and consumers might perceive the terms.”
“The consensus was that the Primary describes the rooms as much as the Teacher, avoiding possible misperceptions,” the association said.
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