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Fred Onyango

Black man says realtor refused to show him a $1M home after seeing him in gym clothes, then texted ‘you don’t look like what I was expecting’

An unverified Reddit post about an alleged case of racial bias involving a Dallas-area real estate agent has gone viral, after a Black homebuyer claimed he was treated differently when he showed up to view a house.

The story was shared on the Reddit community r/BoyDinnerDiaries by a user identified only as Darius, who was looking for recommendations for a real estate agent who would treat him fairly.

According to Darius’ post, he had lived in McKinney, an upscale suburb outside Dallas, for several years. He had recently started looking for a permanent home in Dallas and came across a property in Highland Park, an affluent area known for its expensive homes.

The agent allegedly appeared shocked

Before starting the search, Darius said he secured a pre-approval letter from a lender. He then chose an agent based on local recommendations and sent her his documents.

The two eventually narrowed the search down to three properties and agreed to meet on Sunday at 6 p.m. The agent sent him the addresses and a reminder about the showing.

Darius said he arrived at the first property about 15 minutes early to look around the neighborhood. He was wearing casual athletic clothes because of an unexpected scheduling conflict.

Things reportedly became awkward when the agent arrived at the vacant property with an unidentified male driver.

According to Darius, the agent appeared shocked when she saw him. He said he understood why an agent might have concerns about meeting a new client at a vacant house after business hours. However, he pointed out that she already had his full name, contact information and financial credentials.

The post claims the agent got out of the passenger side of the vehicle, looked at the house and then looked at Darius before telling him he had the wrong address. She allegedly said the showing was for an existing client.

Darius said he showed her the text conversation between them, which included her name, the address and the 6 p.m. appointment time.

At that point, he claims, the explanation changed. The agent reportedly said the neighborhood was hostile toward people waiting outside vacant homes.

The male driver then reportedly told Darius that the agent generally avoided meeting people she had not vetted at vacant properties.

Darius said he decided not to continue with the showing and left.

I showed up early to see a house in Dallas for a showing and got the “this neighborhood is particular” speech in the driveway
by u/Best-Pirate5073 in BoyDinnerDiaries

Later that night, the agent reportedly sent him an apology text at around 9:40 p.m. She allegedly said she had confused him with someone else and admitted that he did not look like what she was expecting.

Users urged him to make a formal report

For Darius, that comment appeared to confirm his suspicion that he had been racially profiled. He chose not to respond.

The post has since attracted plenty of attention, with commenters urging Darius to report the incident to the agent’s managing broker. Others questioned whether the alleged encounter could raise concerns about fair housing protections and professional real estate ethics.

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