What term describes the practice of influencing people to sell their property due to racial or ethnic changes in the neighborhood?

The term that describes the practice of influencing people to sell their property due to racial or ethnic changes in the neighborhood is known as blockbusting. This unethical practice involves real estate agents persuading homeowners to sell their homes at lower prices by instilling fear that minority groups are moving into the area. As a result, agents could then re-sell the homes at a higher price to incoming buyers, exploiting the homeowners' concerns about demographic changes.

Understanding blockbusting is crucial, as it emphasizes the importance of fair housing laws designed to prevent discrimination based on race, ethnicity, or other protected characteristics. The practice is illegal in many jurisdictions, including Massachusetts, as it perpetuates segregation and creates tension within communities.

The other terms relate to different concepts in real estate and community development. Steering, for example, refers to guiding home buyers towards certain neighborhoods based on their race or ethnicity, which is also illegal and discriminatory. Displacement pertains to the forced movement of people from their homes, often due to external pressures like economic changes or redevelopment, and does not specifically involve the manipulation of perceptions about racial or ethnic changes. Gentrification describes a process where urban neighborhoods undergo change through the influx of wealthier residents, which may lead to increased property values and