The Houston Association of Realtors (HAR) has reversed a two-year plan to display a specific flood risk assessment tool directly on its property listings. The unanimous decision by the board comes as development continues to expand into the region's floodplains, raising questions about transparency for potential homebuyers.
The move halts the direct integration of the "Buyers Aware" tool, which was developed in partnership with data researchers at Texas A&M University to provide an estimated flood risk for individual properties. The information will now be housed on a separate resource page rather than on each listing.
Key Takeaways
- The Houston Association of Realtors (HAR) board voted unanimously to not add the "Buyers Aware" flood risk tool directly to home listings.
- This decision reverses a two-year collaboration with Texas A&M researchers who developed the tool.
- HAR cited concerns that highlighting one specific tool could give it undue weight over other available flood risk resources.
- Since Hurricane Harvey, at least 65,000 new properties have been constructed within newly developed FEMA floodplains in the Houston area.
- The flood risk tool remains available on a separate HAR webpage alongside other resources for homebuyers.
A Sudden Reversal After Two Years of Development
The plan to integrate the "Buyers Aware" tool was the culmination of a multi-year effort to provide consumers with more accessible information about potential flood risks. HAR collaborated with Texas A&M researchers to create a data-driven system that could estimate a property's vulnerability.
Test versions of the tool were shared with HAR members throughout 2025 for feedback. However, the final decision to keep the data off the main listings came as a surprise to the research team involved. According to reports, the A&M team behind the tool indicated the change of direction was unexpected.
The reversal means that while the information is still technically public, homebuyers will need to take an extra step to find and interpret the data, rather than seeing it presented alongside a home's price, size, and photos.
Houston's Expanding Footprint
The debate over flood risk disclosure is particularly critical in the Houston area. Research shows significant development has occurred in vulnerable areas following major weather events. Investigative work has revealed that since Hurricane Harvey, tens of thousands of new homes have been built in designated floodplains.
The Board's Rationale for the Change
HAR board member Bill Baldwin explained the board's reasoning, stating the goal was to provide consumers with the most comprehensive information possible, not to prioritize one specific metric. He expressed concern that placing the "Buyers Aware" score directly on a listing would give it more weight than other valuable resources.
"Ultimately, we decided to not put the information immediately on each listing, that was the determination, but to provide it somewhere, and not only Buyers Aware but the others," Baldwin stated.
He added that the board struggled to get a majority of its members to support the direct integration. The primary objection was that singling out one data point could negatively or unfairly impact a property's listing without the full context of other available information.
"Providing the consumer with the most information was really our goal," Baldwin said. "The way we were heading, one bit of information was weighing heavier than others."
The Reality of Building in Floodplains
The decision comes against a backdrop of rapid urban expansion in a region prone to severe flooding. Yilun Cheng, an investigative reporter who has studied the intersection of real estate and flooding in Houston, highlighted the scale of the issue.
"We found out that since Harvey, there have been at least 65,000 new properties built inside FEMA flood plains that were newly developed," Cheng reported. This has led to situations where buyers are unaware of the risks they face.
"People find themselves buying into brand new neighborhoods only to realize later that their homes are vulnerable to chronic flooding," Cheng added. The "Buyers Aware" tool was intended to address this information gap directly at the point of sale.
What Homebuyers Can Do to Stay Informed
While Texas law requires sellers to disclose if a property has flooded in the past, this does not always capture the full risk, especially for new construction. With flood data not appearing on listings, experts say buyers must be proactive in their due diligence.
Houston realtor David Batagower advises buyers to look for physical signs and ask direct questions during a showing.
Key Steps for Buyers:
- Look for physical evidence: "We're looking for potentially, in the garage, water lines," Batagower said. "Sometimes, that can obviously be a direct indicator that a property has had prior flooding."
- Ask direct questions: If your realtor does not raise the issue, you should. Ask if the home is in a flood zone or floodplain and inquire about any seller disclosures regarding flooding history.
- Request an Elevation Certificate: This document is crucial. It provides official data on how high a home is built relative to the base flood elevation, offering a clear metric of its structural vulnerability.
- Use available resources: While not on the listings, the HAR flood webpage still provides access to the "Buyers Aware" tool and other federal and local resources that can help assess risk.
As Houston continues to grow, the responsibility for understanding and assessing flood risk remains a critical, and now more proactive, task for every potential homebuyer in the region.
