Flock cameras changing due diligence for agents, homebuyers

License-plate-reading cameras and other surveillance technology are creating new questions for real estate professionals as homeowners associations weigh neighborhood security against privacy concerns.Flock Safety — one of the best-known providers of automated license plate reader technology — has become a focal point of public backlash over surveillance. But implications for housing extend beyond one company.Homeowners associations (HOA) are also using conventional security cameras, while emerging artificial intelligence (AI) tools can scan neighborhoods for potential covenant violations.For agents and brokers, the developments raise practical questions about what buyers should know before purchasing a home, what sellers should disclose and how professionals can help buyers and sellers evaluate a community without creating unnecessary liability. Leigh Brown, a North Carolina and South Carolina Realtor with One Community Real Estate, has been raising those questions with fellow real estate professionals. In a recent talk with South Carolina’s Aiken Association of Realtors titled, “Is Surveillance Material Fact? Let’s Talk About Flock Cameras,” she addressed disclosure, fair housing...