Fair Housing Consulting
Is your firm, broker, management company or board overwhelmed by the many different housing voucher programs?
Do you want to avoid expensive litigation for Source of Income discrimination?
Do you have a plan to teach your team how to react to the day to day handling of clients with housing vouchers?
These are key questions facing the real estate industry in New York today. Understanding and following fair housing laws as it relates to Source of Income can be complicated. Professionals in the industry need proper information and knowledge to best qualify all prospective tenants. Until now, there was not one complete source of information that clearly highlights the different types of housing subsidies and how they work “in real life”.
This is why we created
REC4SUCCESS Fair Housing Training
We have real-life experience – A LOT of real-life experience – and we are ready to share it with you.
We will work with your company to provide support when and where you need it, including any or all of the below:
OUR team brings legal and real estate industry expertise to YOUR team. Ensuring that all clients are treated equally and with respect while interacting with your company protects you from Fair Housing violations and litigation. REC4SUCCESS training and support is the best way to prepare your team for success.
Our Team
Neil B. Garfinkel, Esq.
Michael J. Romer, Esq.
Neil leads his full-service NY and CA-based law firm, Abrams Garfinkel Margolis Bergson, LLP, with a focus on all aspects of residential and commercial real estate, banking, and lending law. As Broker Counsel to REBNY and appointed member of the New York State Real Estate Board, as well as certified instructor of real estate courses, he provides training programs across the country and created the TOOLBOX 4 SUCCESS to be an integral resource for the real estate community. Neil was also recently named a Notable in Real Estate by CRAINS and a Power Lawyer by Schneps Media. In addition to answering Fair Housing questions for the REBNY Legal Line, as co-chair of REBNY’s Fair Housing Committee with Sarah Saltzberg, Neil addresses Fair Housing issues on a daily basis and trains agents on the correct way to handle issues they encounter. Neil is also the author of Fair Housing Fridays, a weekly column created exclusively for REBNY members. He sits on the Fair Housing Committee of ARELLO (the Association of Real Estate License Law Officials).
Sarah Saltzberg
Neil B. Garfinkel, Esq.
Sarah Saltzberg is the co-owner of Bohemia Realty Group, a boutique real estate firm specializing in residential rentals and sales in Upper Manhattan. After a call from the CCHR (New York City Commission on Human Rights) alerted her to an SOI discrimination complaint with one of her agents, Sarah began searching for resources on how to navigate housing vouchers and found very little. She decided to create her own task force and formed the Programs Department within Bohemia. Five years and many meetings with legislative bodies and voucher administrators later, Bohemia has streamlined information and protocols for all major housing programs. Bohemia has educated its portfolio owners on legal compliance and helped them avoid lawsuits and bad press. Sarah’s “real world” experience grows every day, and sharing it is one of her great passions. Along with Neil Garfinkel, Sarah is the co-chair of REBNY’s Fair Housing Committee. Sarah has served on REBNY’s board of directors for the past five years.
Heather Huff
Pierre E. Debbas, Esq.
Heather Huff comes from a performing arts background and has been a real estate agent with Bohemia Realty Group since 2014, working in both sales and rentals throughout New York City. Heather is a senior agent as well as the department head of the Housing Voucher Team at her firm. She co-teaches continuing education courses for REBNY and is one of the top consultants in New York City for real estate agents/property managers/landlords working with housing programs. She’s also a Mom and an avid traveler!
