Who is primarily responsible for committing the violation of steering in real estate?

Steering is a discriminatory practice that involves guiding potential homebuyers or renters towards or away from specific neighborhoods based on race, ethnicity, or other protected characteristics. In this context, real estate agents play a crucial role as they are typically the ones who have direct interactions with clients and are responsible for providing them with options for housing.

Real estate agents hold a fiduciary duty to act in the best interests of their clients, which includes ensuring that all individuals, regardless of their background, receive equal access to housing opportunities. When a real estate agent engages in steering, they are violating this duty and contributing to discriminatory practices in real estate transactions.

Although loan officers, lenders, and homeowners may play roles in the housing market, they are generally not the primary parties involved in directing buyers toward particular areas based on protected characteristics. Instead, it is the real estate agents who are in a position to influence buyer decisions and may improperly restrict their options through steering. Therefore, the responsibility mainly lies with real estate agents in such scenarios.