How a little-known tool is sweeping the real estate industry by giving instant access to vast amounts of homebuyer data

*preventing more people from buying homes

Oh look, the next iteration of discrimination tactics.

(de-jure segregation →racist deed restrictions → redlining →real estate agent steering →this)

Looks like you can't even opt out without specific legal reasoning based on their opt out policy

Forewarn is primarily marketed to and used by the real estate industry, and it has been penetrating that market at a rapid clip. Although some real estate agents say the financial information it returns saves time when finding clients most likely to have the budget for the houses they’re looking at, most agents and associations tout it primarily as a safety tool because it also supplies criminal records.

In addition to those records, the product — owned by the data broker red violet — also supplies a given individual’s address history; phone, vehicle and property records; bankruptcies; and liens and judgements, including foreclosure histories.

Although such data could generally be gleaned from public records, Forewarn delivers it at the press of a button — a function real estate agents say allows them to gather publicly available information without having to visit courthouses and municipal offices, a process which would normally take days.

at this point everybody should get this tool to screen everybody in their lives!

I tried to sign up for an account but didn't have any luck. I'm just wondering what this company charges to sell my personal info...

Glad I didn't use a realtor in my home purchase, but honestly half my neighbors probably looked me up with a tool like this.