Redfin, Realtor.com not posting crime statistics, should they? … 115

#Crime #realtor #homesearch

Redfin came out with a statement on December 13th explaining their decision to pull crime data from their website and imploring others to do the same.

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Thoughts:

1. People are interested in safety, not crime….well, I’m pretty interested in crime…let’s not get this confused. The definition of safety and the definition of crime are a little loose here. I think what we can all agree on is this…
a. What is the likelihood a crime will be committed against me in this neighborhood versus another?
b. What will the nature of that crime be? I.e. murder, armed robbery, or property crime….like car break in.

2. Do neighborhoods that reflect criminal acts have lower asking prices than neighborhoods that do not? Is this solely a reflection of crime? Racism? Outdated resources in the lack of stores, community centers, etc.

3. Buyers ask me whether or not a neighborhood is safe. I have no way of answering that question properly. As an example, I find theft to be a terrible thing. If I thought theft in an area would be an issue I would say a neighborhood is unsafe. Others might think that only murder, assault, etc are factors that may make a neighborhood unsafe. Your comfort level is dependent on you.

4. We saw major urban areas overrun with “protesters” in 2020…how would that look in crime statistics? Clearly crime occurred…but people saw the crime in different ways. Some felt that it was justified.

5. In the context of likelihood of crime, could those that lived in these areas have known there would be mass protests in those areas and would that have been a reason to not buy there in the first place? Similarly, we often assume areas are safe when they are not. Domestic disputes happen everywhere. Theft happens everywhere. In certain areas, crimes will be reported with more fervor than the exact same crime somewhere else.

6. We have a Walmart in Shrewsbury, MO. I tend to go there when I need to buy something. I feel totally safe when I go there. If you were to look on a crime map, however, you’d never go. Why? Well, one homeless guy murdered another in the back alley of the store a year ago, and Walmart prosecutes shoplifters, so the area is constantly “red” in an otherwise sea of green. And, this is the main issue for me. The crime data is collected differently throughout the United States and much of the data is presented without context. This is why I think it is the right call to not include crime data on real estate listing websites. It’s not about racism, or any other ism. It’s the fact that the data isn’t accurate enough for someone to rely on.

Source: https://www.redfin.com/news/neighborhood-crime-data-doesnt-belong-on-real-estate-sites/

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