Community Agreements
Listings Project values and is committed: to equity, transparency, accountability, collective care, justice, and joy.
Equity. Provide equal access to opportunities and resources
Transparency. Communicate clearly, openly, and honestly
Accountability. Take responsibility for actions, behaviors, language and impact
Collective Care. Take care of yourself so you can take care of and be of service to your community
Justice. Challenge oppression perpetuated by power inequalities in society
Joy. Be open to surprises and delights in every interaction.
We ask all Listers in our community to hold themselves accountable to our Community Agreements. The Listings Project team has outlined the ways you can help us uphold the exceptional level of care and respect that is foundational to our work as a force of communal good and collective care within the real estate and jobs industries.
We expect all Listers in our community to hold themselves accountable to the agreements below. The term “Lister” refers to anyone who uses Listings Project. This includes those who post real estate, job and opportunities listings, those who subscribe to our newsletter, view our listings, and those who inquire about listings.
Providing equal access to opportunities and resources
Community: Interact with all people fairly and openly, regardless of their perceived or actual race, color, ethnicity, ethnic heritage, nationality, ancestry, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, age, size, social class, citizenship status, familial status (including having children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal custodians, being pregnant, in the process of securing custody of children under the age of 18), marital status, criminal history, partnership status, lawful source of income, economic status, status as a survivor of domestic violence, lawful occupation and/or military status, political status, immigration status, genetic information, primary language, and citizenship.
Fair Housing: State and honor an honest and fair housing price when renting or subletting; do not participate in nor condone inequitable behavior or practices such as asking for the best offer, asking for key money, incentivizing bidding wars, denying housing and/or rentals to individuals based upon a lawful source of income, last minute price changes, etc. Short term housing (such as sublets) should be priced fairly according to current rate and costs. Short term housing should not be inflated to align with hotels or vacation rentals (e.g. Airbnb, VRBO). Rental listings cannot charge tenants broker fees or similar fees per Listings Project policy.
Language: Mindfully evaluate statements made in listings to ensure language is not disparaging, harmful, or oppressive. Address Listers in an inclusive way refraining from using language that suggests, to the ordinary reader, viewer or listener that a particular specified identity is preferred.
Relationships: Maintain equitable relationships by treating employees and tenants fairly, equally and equitably. Take a person’s whole experience into consideration when considering them for your space or a job opening.
Communicating clearly, openly and honestly
Upfront: Set expectations upfront by stating needs clearly when posting or inquiring about listings. Be clear about any rental fees such as security deposit and application fees. All rental listings cannot charge tenants brokers fees in order to comply with Listings Project policy.
Accurate: Provide factually accurate listing details, credentials and personal information when posting or inquiring about listings. Making sure your job and housing description is highly accessible to a wide audience by using clear language that doesn’t use niche terminology or jargon.
Communication: Communicate consistently and transparently throughout your leasing, sale, or hiring process.
Inclusive Hiring: Advertise a transparent salary before the application process begins and hold the hiring process accountable so that decisions made will not be due to bias or discrimination ensuring a standardized and fair process for all.
Taking responsibility for our actions, behavior, language, and impact
Intent and Impact: Be aware of differences in communication and assume best intent, particularly when communicating online and in the absence of direct information about Lister’s motives and beliefs. In the event of a mistake or miscommunication with another, hold each other accountable by trusting the intent of that person while acknowledging the impact actions have.
Vetting: We vet our listings to make sure they meet our standards for equity and inclusion and we check for discriminatory or biased language. Our goal with vetting is to make sure that every listing you see is thoughtful, inclusive and personal.
Educate: Educate oneself on local, state, and federal hiring and real estate practices and laws.
Comply with Laws: Many states, U.S. territories and countries have their own laws and regulations around housing and employment. No one set of rules and regulations applies throughout the country or world. You are responsible for being aware of the housing and employment laws and regulations in your region.
Agreements: Be intentional and make agreements about how you develop and maintain relationships with the people you live and work with. Be forthright and committed to compromise and care if obstacles to fulfilling the agreements arise.
Taking care of yourself so that you can take care of and be of service to your community
Responsibility: Uphold the well-being of the community as a shared responsibility of the group rather than the lone task of an individual.
Accessibility: Provide reasonable accommodations and flexibility when people with accessibility needs request modifications or assistance. Engage in a cooperative dialogue to, in good faith, address the needs and/or accommodations required for those persons to use and enjoy the housing and/or perform the duties advertised.
Relationship Grace: Remain open to the possibility that there is always something new to learn from others. If someone makes a mistake, this can be an opportunity for growth and good will. Offer some grace and work with them to understand what happened.
Restorative Practices: Embody a restorative approach in conflict by taking steps to prevent further conflict. Make sure everyone involved can have their needs met:
Use compassionate and straightforward dialogue
Opt for curiosity when challenged
Seek to understand all perspectives during a disagreement before escalating a situation
Practice empathy and self-awareness
Acknowledge if harm has been done
Sincerely apologize if appropriate
Confidentiality: Protect the privacy of every Lister and respect the confidentiality of all information shared in a private space.
Inform: Be an active member of Listings Project and report any unacceptable behavior or incident involving fellow Listers. This is a community platform that is powered by listers as much as it is by the Listings project team.
Follow Through: Be mindful of peoples’ time and energy. Follow through on appointments, calls, showings, interviews, etc. Do your best to respond to everyone who inquires about your listing.
Challenge oppression perpetuated by power inequalities in society
Learning and Growth: Commit to the long-term and ongoing practice of learning and growing.
Tenant Preference: We encourage all Listers on Listings Project to foster an environment of inclusivity to allow all within the community to obtain access to fundamental services, enter and remain in the workforce, and meet their most basic and critical needs. In certain jurisdictions, having personal preferences for people with similar backgrounds may not be an affirmative act of discrimination; if you’d like to share the space with people you identify with such as LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC Listers, you can note this in your listing while being thoughtful and respectful of the entire Listings Project community.
Legal Compliance: Comply with all laws protecting against discrimination in employment, housing, commercial facilities, and public accommodations, including, but not limited to the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Fair Housing Act, Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019 (NY State), the FARE Act (NYC) and State and local laws protecting against and prohibiting discrimination against members of a protected class. As well as the protections outlined by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Remove Bias and Discrimination: Understand that in real estate, housing and job settings inequality can have harmful effects. Think deeply and act intentionally to remove bias and discrimination from housing, hiring, and workplace practices.
Being open to surprises and delights in every interaction
Pleasure: Prioritize moments for yourself that bring joy and pleasure. We know that finding a home, workspace or a job can be stressful. We believe that the search is not sustainable without joy.
Spontaneity: Allow for and find spontaneity throughout the process. As much as we want to plan our housing or job search, some of the best fits may come as a surprise.
No Quick Fix: Recognize that there is no quick fix to the challenges of the housing and job markets. Finding moments to take a break in the process makes the experience much more sustainable and fulfilling.
Building Relationships: We are a community that is constantly evolving, learning, and working together. Be mindful that building community is a collective effort. Find joy in interactions by being willing to work on relationships and participate within our community to maintain and nourish each other.