(The Center Square) – Seattle lawmakers are considering a new ordinance that would make it illegal to solicit unwilling homeowners to sell their properties.
The legislation, introduced by Councilmember Dionne Foster, aims to establish a voluntary, city-managed “do not solicit” list.
Under the proposed ordinance, contacting any resident on this list with offers to buy or help sell their home would be classified as an unfair housing practice.
Violators would face a $1,000 fine for a first offense, with subsequent violations increasing to $2,000.
Foster said at a meeting of the Housing, Arts & Civil Rights Committee Monday that many locals felt “hunted” in their own homes due to a barrage of cold calls, unsolicited flyers, direct emails and door-knockers.
“Homeownership is a tool for building generational wealth,” Foster said. “We want to make sure people who want to stay in their homes are able to do so.”
A contingent of residents spoke, many from Seattle’s Central District at the meeting.
Once a neighborhood where Black residents made up 70% of the population, it has shrunk to less than 10% as property values have increased and existing residents have sold their homes.
Larry Dean said he is one of only three Black families left in his Central Seattle neighborhood and that he doesn’t want to sell his house.
“That was my parents’ home,” he said.
But Dean said the calls kept on coming.
“My house is not for sale,” he said he tells the frequent callers.
Brenetta Ward, a former Central District resident of over 30 years, testified she had gotten frequent calls in her home.
She got solicitations when she lived in Central Seattle.
She relocated to Rainier Beach a decade again, and recently she said the aggressive solicitation tactics had resumed in her new neighborhood.
“It’s not fair and it’s not requested,” Ward told the committee. “If we want to sell our home, we know what to do.”
Real estate agents appearing at the committee hearing urged caution, saying the legislation could hurt legitimate business activity.
Randy Bannecker, representing Seattle King County Realtors, cautioned that the definition of solicitation is overly broad.
He said it could inadvertently criminalize routine, non-coercive market updates and general advertising.
Some real estate professionals put the blame at the committee hearing on “wholesalers” – unlicensed buyers who target distressed properties to flip them to investors for a quick profit.
The committee did not vote on the ordinance, as questions remained on how it should be worded.
Councilmember Eddie Lin voiced concerns about potential unintended consequences, questioning whether the strict wording might legally prevent mortgage lenders from reaching out to homeowners about beneficial refinancing opportunities.
If passed, the task of enforcing the registry would fall to the city’s Office for Civil Rights. It has requested funding for a new full-time position to manage the workload.
The proposed ordinance builds upon a measure passed last year under former Mayor Bruce Harrell, which required prospective buyers to obtain independent property appraisals from sellers before closing a deal.
If Seattle successfully implements the “do not solicit” list, it will join cities like Philadelphia, which have enacted similar protections.
Foster said she wants to make sure that unsuspecting homeowners aren’t taken advantage of and noted that the proposed law comes at a time when city zoning laws have changed to allow single-family plots to have multiple homes, making property more valuable.
The bill is scheduled for at least one more committee review before heading to the full City Council for a final vote later this summer.