Compliance

How to handle a text reply from a minor

Receiving a text reply from a minor, even if he or she is the homeowner's child, requires careful handling to maintain compliance. It's crucial to disengage respectfully and try to reach an adult decision-maker for the property. This is not legal advice.

October 21, 2026 · 3 min read

Why replies from minors are a compliance concern

When you send out text messages to property owners, you are engaging in commercial communication. If a minor replies, he or she may not have the legal capacity to consent to communication or make decisions regarding property. Continuing to engage could inadvertently lead to compliance issues, even if you did not intend to target a minor.

It is about respecting legal boundaries and avoiding any perception of impropriety. Your focus should always be on communicating with the legal owner or his or her authorized representative. This is not legal advice.

Identifying a minor's reply

Sometimes it is obvious, with replies like 'I'm 12, my mom owns this' or 'this is dad's phone'. Other times, it might be more subtle: casual language, emojis that suggest a younger person, or questions that reveal a lack of understanding about property transactions. Trust your gut feeling on this.

If you suspect the reply is from a minor, treat it as such. It is better to err on the side of caution than to continue a conversation that could lead to problems later. Look for explicit statements or strong inferences.

Best practices for disengaging respectfully

If you confirm or suspect the reply is from a minor, stop the conversation immediately. Send a polite, neutral message. Something like, 'Thank you for your reply. We only communicate with the legal property owner. Please have an adult contact us if he or she is interested in selling.'

Do not engage in further back-and-forth. Mark the number in your CRM as 'minor replied - do not contact' or a similar designation. You want to ensure no automated follow-ups accidentally re-engage the minor. This is not legal advice.

Attempting to reach the legal property owner

Disengaging with the minor does not mean you abandon the lead entirely. If you have other contact information for the property owner (e.g., another phone number, email, or mailing address), you can use those to attempt to reach the adult. The goal is to ensure your communication is with the correct party.

If the minor's reply gave you a different number for an adult, you can use that. Always verify that the new number belongs to the legal owner before initiating contact. Your efforts should be focused on the adult decision-maker, separate from the minor's interaction. This is not legal advice.

Documenting the interaction

As with any compliance-sensitive interaction, document everything. Note the date and time of the minor's reply, the content of his or her message, and your exact response. Record in your CRM that you disengaged and why. This creates a paper trail should any questions arise later.

Good record-keeping protects you and demonstrates your commitment to compliant practices. It shows that you took appropriate action as soon as you identified a potential issue. This is not legal advice.

Questions people ask

Can I just ignore a text from a minor?

It is better to send a polite disengagement message rather than just ignoring it. This clarifies your intention and prevents further unwanted communication, while also documenting your compliance efforts. This is not legal advice.

What if the minor says his or her parent told him or her to text back?

Even if the minor claims a parent's instruction, you should still politely disengage with the minor directly. Request that the adult property owner contact you himself or herself to ensure you are communicating with the legally authorized party. This is not legal advice.

Does this apply to all states?

Compliance rules can vary by state and federal regulations. However, the general principle of communicating with legal adults for property transactions is a best practice universally. Always act cautiously. This is not legal advice.