What is the exam-ready distinction?
| Roadmap post | 218 of 500 |
|---|---|
| Official syllabus topic | Practice of Real Estate: Federal Fair Housing Prohibitions |
| Official PSI area | Practice of Real Estate |
| Published weight | 12% of the 100-question national portion |
| Source edition | PSI Georgia Candidate Information Bulletin dated July 1, 2026 |
| Content checked through | August 2, 2026 |
The Rule
PSI publishes a weight for the complete official area, not a guaranteed count for this individual comparison. Use the source, document, actor, event, and timing stated in the question before applying a memorized definition.
Side-by-side comparison
Read across each row. The terms are deliberately compared on identical dimensions so the difference remains clear when the exam hides the vocabulary inside a scenario.
| Decision dimension | Steering | Blockbusting | Redlining |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conduct | Directing or limiting housing choices because of a protected characteristic | Inducing owners to sell or rent through protected-class change representations | Discriminatory denial or different terms for housing-related credit or services, often by geography |
| Typical target | Buyer or renter | Existing owner | Borrower or neighborhood applicant |
| Exam clue | Different homes or areas shown based on protected class | Panic-selling message about protected-class entry | Map or neighborhood-based credit denial tied to protected class |
| Not required | A written discriminatory policy | An actual demographic change | A literal red line on a paper map |
Decision rule
Georgia-specific distinction
Worked example
Scenario. A licensee shows Black buyers homes only east of a highway while showing comparable white buyers listings throughout the requested area because of race.
Reason it through. The conduct limits housing choices differently based on a protected characteristic. It is not a panic-selling message to owners or a lending decision.
Answer. The conduct is steering.
Common exam traps
- Classifying by geography alone
- Requiring an explicit slur or written policy
- Calling neutral consistent data automatically steering
- Confusing lender redlining with agent steering
Original practice questions with detailed explanations
These are original instructional questions mapped to the July 1, 2026 PSI outline. They are not copied from PSI or any live examination. Choose an answer before opening the explanation.
Question 1Which violation uses protected-class change representations to induce owners to sell?
- A. Steering
- B. Redlining
- C. Blockbusting
- D. Price fixing
Show answer and explanation →
Answer: C. Blockbusting
Blockbusting is correct. Steering limits or directs housing choices because of a protected characteristic. Blockbusting induces owners to sell or rent through representations about protected-class entry or change. Redlining discriminates in housing-related lending or services, often by neighborhood. Classify the actor, target, and discriminatory mechanism. The remaining options, Steering; Redlining; Price fixing, do not match the controlling category or fact.
Question 2A licensee shows Black buyers homes only east of a highway while showing comparable white buyers listings throughout the requested area because of race.
- A. It is blockbusting because neighborhoods are mentioned.
- B. It is redlining because a highway is used.
- C. It is lawful if some homes were shown.
- D. The conduct is steering.
Show answer and explanation →
Answer: D. The conduct is steering.
The conduct limits housing choices differently based on a protected characteristic. It is not a panic-selling message to owners or a lending decision. The supported conclusion is: The conduct is steering. The other choices replace those controlling facts with a neighboring concept or an unsupported absolute rule.
Question 3What should a candidate identify first when comparing Steering Versus Blockbusting Versus Redlining?
- A. Ask who was targeted and what happened: homeseeker choices were directed, owners were pressured to sell, or credit or services were denied on a discriminatory geographic basis.
- B. The option with the longest definition, without classifying the facts.
- C. A memorized Georgia rule, even when the question asks for a national concept.
- D. The answer that sounds most favorable to one party, regardless of the document or event.
Show answer and explanation →
Answer: A. Ask who was targeted and what happened: homeseeker choices were directed, owners were pressured to sell, or credit or services were denied on a discriminatory geographic basis.
Ask who was targeted and what happened: homeseeker choices were directed, owners were pressured to sell, or credit or services were denied on a discriminatory geographic basis. That sequence identifies the legal category before the label. Definition length ignores the facts, jurisdiction confusion answers a different question, and sympathy cannot replace the document, event, calculation, or governing rule.
Mastery tracking
Mark this distinction mastered only when every statement is true.
- Define every compared term without using the other term as the definition.
- Rebuild the comparison table from memory.
- State the decision rule and Georgia distinction without notes.
- Solve the worked example after changing one controlling fact.
- Explain why every trap and distractor is tempting but wrong.
- Answer all three original questions correctly in mixed practice on a later day.
Recommended next lesson
Continue with Reasonable Accommodation Versus Reasonable Modification. Continue to roadmap comparison 219.
Return to the complete exam-concept library or the Practice of Real Estate hub.