Real estate wholesalers and professionals may use calls, letters, and visits to convince residents to sell their homes. These aggressive tactics can cause homeowners to sell their properties at prices that are significantly under market value.
The Do Not Solicit homeowner protection law requires licensing and regulation of wholesalers and their agents. It also prohibits them from soliciting homeowners who:
- have told the real estate broker, agent, or wholesaler that they don’t wish to be contacted about selling or renting their property; or
- have added their name to the City’s Do Not Solicit list.
Types of solicitation
Solicitation includes:
- Any advertisement or request that a homeowner list their residential property for sale.
- Any direct offer to purchase a residential property.
Solicitation might take place through many forms of contact. This includes but is not limited to:
- In-person contact.
- Telephone calls.
- Mailings.
- Digital communications.
- Written communication presented to the homeowner or placed at the homeowner’s address, such as a flyer placed on a vehicle.
Who can sign up
Any residential property owner in Philadelphia may join the Do Not Solicit list. Commercial property owners aren’t eligible.
To be considered a property’s owner, you must either:
- have your name on the deed; or
- have legal claim to ownership of the property. (For example, you inherited a home but your name isn’t on the deed yet.)
Being on the Do Not Solicit list will not prevent you from selling your home or listing it with a real estate broker.
How to sign up
To join the Do Not Solicit list, use the digital form below.
Reporting a violation
If a wholesaler or real estate professional continues to contact you after you’ve joined the Do Not Solicit list, you can submit a complaint form to the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations (PCHR). The form can be submitted by mail or by email to pchr@phila.gov.
Depending upon the severity of the offense, the penalty for sending an unlawful solicitation may range from a reprimand to a fine up to $2,000. The City can take repeat offenders to court and ask the judge to impose higher penalties.