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Committee advances Home Buyer Harassment Prevention Act after testimony from Realtors; bill limits unsolicited purchase offers
Summary
Senate Bill 204, aimed at limiting unsolicited offers from investors to homeowners and giving homeowners a complaint remedy through the Attorney General’s consumer division, advanced from the Commerce and Labor Committee after sponsor testimony and a brief witness statement from Tennessee Realtors.
The Commerce and Labor Committee advanced Senate Bill 204, the Home Buyer Harassment Prevention Act, to the calendar committee on March 11, 2025, after the sponsor described growing constituent complaints about unsolicited and repetitive purchase solicitations to homeowners.
Sponsor description: Senator Oliver said the bill sprang from work advising disaster-affected homeowners and later from constituent complaints across the state: “These unsolicited offers are often aggressive and come in the form of phone calls, text messages, postcards, and even in person visits.” The sponsor said the bill would limit the number of unsolicited contacts a property owner can receive, require the buyer or buyer’s agent to disclose legal name and contact information, prohibit caller-ID spoofing and allow homeowners to file complaints with the Attorney General’s consumer affairs division.
Witness and profession response: Addison Russell, representing Tennessee Realtors, told the committee the Realtors association is neutral on the bill and noted that licensed real estate agents remain exempt: the bill’s language excludes licensed real estate agents from the restrictions and a cited statutory cross-reference (47-18-5805) clarifies that licensed agents may contact property owners under existing law and commission rules.
Committee Q&A addressed overlap with existing do-not-call and criminal statutes. Members asked whether existing statutes — including do-not-call rules and stalking laws — already covered abusive behavior. The sponsor said the bill covers multiple contact forms beyond phone calls and is intended to help homeowners who often do not know how their contact information was obtained. The Attorney General’s office involvement was mentioned; the sponsor said they had documentation of complaints and had conferred with the AG’s office.
Outcome: The committee called the question and the bill moved forward by roll call; the clerk recorded the committee’s vote as eight ayes. No committee amendments were adopted on the floor of the committee during this hearing.
What the bill would do: Limit frequency of unsolicited purchase contacts; require identification and contact information in communications; prohibit caller-ID spoofing; provide a civil penalty of up to $2,000 and a 20-day review requirement for complaints filed with the Attorney General’s consumer affairs division. The bill exempts licensed real estate agents and government employees acting in an official capacity.
