NAR President John Smaby issued the following statement after the House passed H.R. 5, the Equality Act, on Friday afternoon.

"For more than 50 years, fair housing has protected the American Dream for millions of people in this country, breaking down walls of discrimination that restricted the fundamental right of property ownership for far too long," Smaby said.

"Today, lawmakers continue considering new ways to strengthen the landmark Fair Housing Act. Realtors® have long supported the effort to extend these protections to members of the LGBT community, amending our Code of Ethics in 2009 to reflect this critical priority.

"NAR was pleased to see H.R. 5 pass the House of Representatives today, as this bill will prohibit all forms of housing discrimination against the LGBT community. Although much work towards this goal remains, NAR continues to engage with policymakers and Congressional leaders in our effort to secure the strongest, most inclusive and most economically viable real estate industry possible."