Realtor.com® Flood Risk Data Tool
Louisiana REALTORS • September 14, 2020
For REALTORS®, more knowledge is more power.
Realtor.com® recently released a new tool on its platform - an addition that enables you to see the flood risk of both for-sale and off-market properties. The tool combines data from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the First Street Foundation's Flood Factor™
feature to produce a risk score ranging from 1 (minimal risk) to 10 (extreme risk) and an indication of whether that risk is increasing, decreasing or constant over the next 30 years.
This new tool allows REALTORS® to:
In addition, a graph shows the cumulative risk of flooding for a property over the typical 30-year period of ownership, along with the FEMA-categorized flood zone for the property, and whether flood insurance is required.
This information can be used by REALTORS® to provide additional context, guidance and insights to your buying and selling clients.
This new tool allows REALTORS® to:
- Make this risk an early part of the home search discussion.
- Enable buyers to factor this risk into their evaluation of a property.
- Incentivize owners to make necessary home improvements to mitigate flood risk.
- Help buyers and owners ensure they have adequate insurance coverage.
- Reduce the likelihood that a home sale is derailed by unexpected flood risk information late into a transaction.
Here's how the data from both sources (FEMA and Flood Factor™) will work together to help you as a trusted REALTOR®:
| Flood Factor™ | FEMA |
|---|---|
| Provides accurate, property-level flood risk information | Provides detailed, community-wide flood risk information |
| Incorporates current and future environmental changes | Maps the 100-year flood zone and indicates whether a property is "in or out" of this zone |
| Maps multiple flood zones and risk levels | Does not provide information specific to individual properties |
| Includes more flood scores, such as heavy rainfall | Based on site-specific, engineering studies, but limited to two risks (riverine and storm surge) |
| Nationwide coverage and updated quarterly | Used by community regulators, banks and lenders |
| Assesses historic flood patterns and projects future risk | Assesses historic flood patterns |
Check out these helpful NAR resources:
- Is My Home in a Flood Zone?
- Don't Fear Flood Data; Here's How It Helps Clients
- Pivot in Place (a 3-minute video of NAR's 2020 VP of Association Affairs discussing the new feature)
Take advantage of safety training and other resources provided by your local REALTOR® Association in Louisiana.
Construction Update: Act Nos. 239 and 422 Eric Landry, Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, L.L.P. Louisiana REALTORS® Counsel
NAR is pleased to share the latest consumer guide focused on how the VA Home Loan offers a great path to homeownership for current and former military service members. As a reminder, all guides in this series are available for download—in both English and Spanish—on facts.realtor . Please allow a few days for the Spanish version of the latest resource to be translated and uploaded. For ease of reference, below is a list of the most recent guides: NEW: What Is the VA Home Loan Guaranty? 10 Tips for Packing Smartly for a Move State and Local Tax (SALT) Deductions Buying a Historic Property Making Your Home More Energy Efficient Working with a Real Estate Attorney Thank you for your continued engagement with the “Consumer Guide” series and for sharing the resources with prospective clients to ensure they have the information they need to find success in their homebuying or selling journey. Remember that these guides are for informational purposes only and are not meant to enact or change any existing NAR policy. Be on the lookout for the next consumer guide, which outlines requirements for private mortgage insurance and how it protects lenders and consumers.
