When HUD receives a complaint, it will start an investigation. Within 100 days, HUD will determine if there is reasonable cause to charge discrimination or it will dismiss the complaint.

It’s common for agents to be faced with questions that are outside their realm of expertise or knowledge. It's best for agents to refer such questions to people who are experts in those fields.

The licensee should advertise in a city-wide newspaper, so that he or she does not give an impression of racial steering.

During the investigation period, HUD can attempt to resolve the complaint by getting assurance from the person against whom the complaint was filed that he or she will remedy the alleged violation. This is called conciliation.

If a seller refuses to consider an offer because the prospective buyer is a member of a protected class, the broker should end the listing.

Testing is defined as "a simulated housing transaction designed to obtain evidence of differential treatment based on an individual's protected class status."

The Community Reinvestment Act was passed by Congress in 1977 to prevent redlining and to encourage banks and thrifts to help meet the credit needs of all segments of their communities, including low- and moderate-income neighborhoods.

In 1974, the Housing and Community Development Act added sex to the list of protected classes.

"The Housing Financial Discrimination Act of 1977, also known as the Holden Act, prohibits financial institutions from discriminating in loan activities on the basis of race, color, religion, marital status, national origin, ancestry, or sex."