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Just a week after the launch of Trulia Voices, we’ve talked a lot about introducing conversations from the offline world into the online space.

On the one hand, an “online social community” is a very important and public way for consumers to ask questions and find important real estate information. On the other hand, these are sensitive waters that we all need to be aware of.

Top ‘o the list for discussion this week: How to successfully navigate the Fair Housing waters while still answering all the questions home buyers and sellers will inevitably ask. The art is to apply the same industry expertise you would in the offline world to anything you do online.

Position yourself as the helpful real estate professional you are and remember that the Fair Housing Act and all other federal, state and local Fair Housing statutes and ordinances apply to your responses to home buyers and sellers – whether online, in your office, on the phone, via email and all other methods of communication.

Jay Thompson, provides a great example of how to answer a potentially “tricky” consumer question.

At Trulia, we’re fully supportive of your efforts to adhere to the guidelines set forth in the Fair Housing Act. In response to your feedback, we’ve taken a few measures, including:

1. Adding the Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity logo with links to the FHA site on all pages.
2. Adding Fair Housing language to our Community Guides and Terms of Service.

Of course, if you have questions about compliance, make sure to check with your broker. And it never hurts to brush up on the information posted in the Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity section of HUD’s own Web site.

Thanks to America’s most opinionated (now independently verified) mortgage broker Brian Brady, Jay and everyone else that has contributed to this dialogue. We look forward to your continued feedback – you’re helping define the future of real estate dialogue online!

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