A buyer tells an agent that the buyer wants to live in a neighborhood populated...

The correct answer is C, Steering. Steering occurs when a real-estate professional directs buyers or renters toward or away from particular neighborhoods or properties because of race or another protected characteristic.

A buyer ' s own discriminatory preference does not authorize a licensee to participate in discriminatory housing practices. The professional should focus on objective criteria supplied by the buyer—price range, property type, bedroom count, commute, transportation, school proximity without demographic steering, amenities, and other lawful characteristics.

Redlining traditionally concerns discriminatory lending, insurance, or services based on location or protected-class composition. Blockbusting, also known as panic selling or panic peddling, involves inducing owners to sell because members of a protected group are supposedly entering the neighborhood.

Massachusetts housing law prohibits discriminatory treatment in real-estate transactions based on numerous protected characteristics and imposes broader protections than the historic federal minimum.

Study Guide Reference: Practice of Real Estate — Fair Housing; steering, blockbusting and discriminatory practices.