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Agent Intermediation and Racial Price Differentials

Author

Listed:
  • Adam Nowak

    (West Virginia University, Department of Economics)

  • Patrick Smith

    (San Diego State University)

Abstract

In most housing transactions the home buyer and seller do not meet, in which case the buyer's race is not revealed and the seller cannot discriminate against them. Despite this fact, previous studies estimate racial price differentials based on the race of the home buyer. In this study we identify the dimensions along which differential treatment occurs in housing markets. We show that home buyers disproportionately hire real estate agents of the same race and that the race of the agent, not the home buyer, is the primary mechanism of discrimination. The results of this study have important implications for fair housing policy.

Suggested Citation

  • Adam Nowak & Patrick Smith, 2017. "Agent Intermediation and Racial Price Differentials," Working Papers 17-21, Department of Economics, West Virginia University.
    • Handle: RePEc:wvu:wpaper:17-21
    as

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    File URL: http://busecon.wvu.edu/phd_economics/pdf/17-21.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Patrick Bayer & Fernando Ferreira & Robert McMillan, 2007. "A Unified Framework for Measuring Preferences for Schools and Neighborhoods," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 115(4), pages 588-638, August.
    2. King, A Thomas & Mieszkowski, Peter, 1973. "Racial Discrimination, Segregation, and the Price of Housing," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 81(3), pages 590-606, May-June.
    3. John Yinger, 1978. "The Black-White Price Differential in Housing: Some Further Evidence," Land Economics, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 54(2), pages 187-206.
    4. Ihlanfeldt, Keith & Mayock, Tom, 2009. "Price discrimination in the housing market," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 66(2), pages 125-140, September.
    5. Myers, Caitlin Knowles, 2004. "Discrimination and neighborhood effects: understanding racial differentials in US housing prices," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 56(2), pages 279-302, September.
    6. Patrick Bayer & Marcus D. Casey & Fernando Ferreira & Robert McMillan, 2012. "Estimating Racial Price Differentials in the Housing Market," NBER Working Papers 18069, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    7. Kiel, Katherine A. & Zabel, Jeffrey E., 1996. "House Price Differentials in U.S. Cities: Household and Neighborhood Racial Effects," Journal of Housing Economics, Elsevier, vol. 5(2), pages 143-165, June.
    8. Gatzlaff, Dean H & Haurin, Donald R, 1997. "Sample Selection Bias and Repeat-Sales Index Estimates," The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, Springer, vol. 14(1-2), pages 33-50, Jan.-Marc.
    9. Imbens,Guido W. & Rubin,Donald B., 2015. "Causal Inference for Statistics, Social, and Biomedical Sciences," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521885881.
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    Cited by:

    1. Natalya Bikmetova & Geoffrey K. Turnbull & Velma Zahirovic‐Herbert, 2023. "Ethnicity in housing markets: Buyers, sellers and agents," Real Estate Economics, American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association, vol. 51(1), pages 196-232, January.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Housing; agent intermediation; racial discrimination; price differentials;
    All these keywords.

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