Fair Housing & Equal Housing Opportunity Policy
Every buyer, seller, and renter I work with across Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut gets the same honest, complete, and equal real estate service — no exceptions. I do not steer. I do not discriminate. I do not let any AI tool decide for a client what homes or neighborhoods they get to see. This page is my public Fair Housing and AI Use Policy, written in plain English so you can hold me to it.
Our commitment
Equal housing is not a footer disclaimer for me. It is the standard I work to on every call, every showing, every email, every marketing post, and every piece of AI-assisted content my office produces. I am Alex Parmenidez, Broker Associate at Coldwell Banker Realty in Providence, and I am licensed in Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. Across all three states, my pledge is the same: equal access, equal information, equal effort.
I work with first-time buyers, downsizers, relocators from out of state, investors, and sellers preparing their home for market. Whatever your situation looks like, you get the full picture — the market data, the comp analysis, the neighborhood trade-offs — and you make the call. That is what fair housing means in practice.
Who this policy covers
This policy applies to every client, prospect, and visitor — buyers, sellers, renters, and investors alike — regardless of:
- Race, color, or national origin
- Religion or religious creed
- Sex, gender identity, or gender expression
- Sexual orientation
- Familial status (including families with children under 18 and pregnant individuals)
- Disability or handicap status
- Ancestry or ethnic background
- Marital status, civil union status, or domestic partnership
- Age (as protected under MA, RI, and CT law)
- Lawful source of income, including Section 8 vouchers, RAP, SSI, social security, child support, and other public assistance
- Military service, veteran status, or active servicemember status
- Status as a victim of domestic violence or someone who has sought a protective order
- Housing status
- Genetic information
- Any other characteristic protected by the Federal Fair Housing Act, Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 151B, the Rhode Island Fair Housing Practices Act (RIGL §34-37), the Connecticut General Statutes §46a-64c, or any applicable local ordinance
How the three states stack up
Federal law sets the floor. RI, MA, and CT each add protections on top. Here is what that looks like side by side, so you know exactly what applies wherever you are house hunting or selling.
| Protected class | Federal FHA | Rhode Island | Massachusetts | Connecticut |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, disability | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Sexual orientation, gender identity / expression | Yes (per HUD interpretation) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Age | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Marital / civil union status | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Lawful source of income (Section 8, RAP, SSI, etc.) | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Military / veteran status | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Victim of domestic violence | No | Yes | No (housing); Yes in other contexts | Yes |
| Ancestry / genetic information | No | Yes (ancestry) | Yes (both) | Yes (ancestry) |
This is a working summary, not legal advice. The controlling statutes are MA Chapter 151B §4, RIGL §34-37, and CGS §46a-64c. If a client believes a specific situation is borderline, I will document it and refer the question to the appropriate agency listed below.
What I do not do
No steering. I do not guide, suggest, limit, or influence where you search, what communities you consider, or which properties you are shown based on any protected characteristic. Every client gets access to every listing that fits the criteria you give me.
No gatekeeping. I do not discourage anyone from asking about any property, neighborhood, or town. If you want to see a home in Providence, Newport, Cambridge, or Stamford, I show you the home and the data — not a filtered version of either.
No biased neighborhood descriptions. I describe communities using objective, fact-based language: median sale prices, days on market, school district ratings, commute times, tax rates. I do not use coded language, demographic shorthand, or “good schools / safe neighborhood” framing that signals preferences based on protected class.
No selective service. Every client gets the same response time, the same depth of market analysis, the same negotiation effort, and the same level of professional attention. Whether you are listing a $4.5M waterfront in Barrington or buying a starter condo in Pawtucket, the work is the work.
AI tools and automated systems
For the full AI use breakdown — including the list of tools I currently use, my disclosure standards, and how to opt out of AI-generated content on your own listing — see my AI Use Policy.
I use AI tools in marketing, photography, listing description drafts, comparative market analyses, and back-office operations. AI is part of how I move faster and produce better data for clients — but it is never the gatekeeper. My AI use policy is:
- AI-generated or AI-assisted content is reviewed by me, a licensed Broker Associate, before it goes live. Nothing posts unread.
- AI tools are never used to filter, rank, or limit what properties, communities, or services any person is shown or offered. The MLS feed I share with you is the full feed.
- AI tools are never used to create or distribute advertising that expresses a preference or limitation based on any protected class. This includes Meta, Google, and ChatGPT Ads — all targeting on my campaigns is configured to comply with HUD’s guidance on algorithmic advertising and with each platform’s Housing, Employment, and Credit (HEC) special ad category rules.
- AI-generated listing photos, virtual staging, or marketing graphics are disclosed to clients when used, in keeping with NAR guidance on AI-assisted content.
- AI-generated CMAs are always backed by the underlying comp data, which I share with you in full. The AI accelerates the analysis; the conclusions are mine and they are reviewable.
If you ever want to know whether a specific piece of content from me was AI-assisted, ask. I will tell you.
NAR Code of Ethics compliance
I am a REALTOR® and I operate under the National Association of REALTORS® Code of Ethics. The Articles most directly tied to this policy:
Article 10 — I provide equal professional service to all clients and customers, and I do not discriminate in my real estate practice.
Standard of Practice 10-5 — I do not print, display, or circulate any statement or advertisement — human-written or AI-generated — that indicates a preference, limitation, or discrimination in the sale or rental of housing.
Article 12 — I am honest and truthful in all real estate communications, including AI-generated and AI-assisted content. The picture I paint of a home, a market, or a transaction in my marketing matches the picture I paint at the kitchen table.
Standard of Practice 12-12 — I do not misrepresent the nature, availability, or condition of any property in a way that could mislead consumers or produce a discriminatory outcome.
Reporting a concern
If you believe you have been treated unfairly by me or by anyone working with me, or you spot something in my content that looks like a fair housing violation, I want to know directly. I would rather hear about it from you than have it become a complaint.
Direct contact:
Alex Parmenidez, Broker Associate — Coldwell Banker Realty
Cell / text: (401) 426-4825
Office: (401) 351-2017
Email: [email protected]
You can also file a complaint with:
- HUD Fair Housing — hud.gov/fairhousing — 1-800-669-9777
- RI Commission for Human Rights — richr.ri.gov — (401) 222-2661
- Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD) — mass.gov/mcad — (617) 994-6000
- Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (CHRO) — portal.ct.gov/CHRO — 1-800-477-5737
Frequently asked questions
Does this policy apply if I am buying or selling outside Rhode Island?
Yes. I am licensed in Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Massachusetts, and this policy applies in all three states. The protected classes vary slightly by jurisdiction — see the comparison table above — but my conduct does not. I serve every client the same way regardless of which state we are working in.
How do I know an AI tool is not filtering what listings I see?
The MLS feed I share with you is the complete feed for your search criteria — price range, beds, baths, geography, and any specifics you give me. I do not run any AI ranking layer between the MLS and your inbox. If you want to verify, ask me to share the raw search parameters and the unfiltered count of matches. I will send you both.
What does “source of income” protection actually mean in practice?
In Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Massachusetts, a landlord or seller cannot refuse to rent or sell to you because your income comes from a Section 8 voucher, RAP, SSI, social security, child support, alimony, disability payments, or other lawful public assistance. As your agent, I treat that income exactly the same as W-2 wages when we are preparing an offer or a rental application. If a landlord pushes back, I push back too — that is the law in all three states.
Are AI-generated listing photos allowed?
Yes, with disclosure. NAR and most state real estate commissions treat AI-enhanced or AI-staged photos the same way they treat traditional virtual staging: it is allowed if it is clearly disclosed to buyers and does not misrepresent the property’s actual condition. When I use AI for staging or photo enhancement on a listing, the listing remarks call it out, and the unedited photos are available on request.
What happens if I file a complaint against another agent or a landlord?
You have multiple options and you do not have to choose just one. You can file with HUD (federal), the RI Commission for Human Rights, MCAD in Massachusetts, or CHRO in Connecticut — these agencies coordinate on cases that cross jurisdictions. You can also file a private lawsuit in state or federal court. If you tell me what you are seeing, I can help you document the facts and point you to the right agency for your situation, even if the complaint is not about me. Retaliation against you for filing is itself illegal under all three state laws.
Alex Parmenidez
Broker Associate — Licensed in RI, CT & MA
Coldwell Banker Realty
Cell (401) 426-4825 · Office (401) 351-2017
[email protected] · alexparmenidez.realtor