Defining the Challenges of Twenty-First-Century Governance through an Analysis of North America’s Borders

going on simultaneously. Buyers do learn more as they visit more homes, but agents determine which homes they see and offer what is not always disinterested information to buyers. A question can also be raised about how much can be generalized from New York. Besbris says his case study is more representative than might initially be apparent. New York City is certainly a high-priced area, but he notes that several East and West Coast cities are high priced, asserting that in 2017 New York’s market was more affordable than markets in Miami, San Diego, Los Angeles, and San Francisco and just slightly less affordable than Denver, Seattle, Boston, Sacramento, and Portland (p. 12). But it is not clear if he is referring to New York City generally or the Manhattan and Brooklyn neighborhoods where his research is focused, or what markets he is referring to in these other cities. He then goes on to argue that there is much research on affordability challenges at the lower end of the market but a gap in what is known about higherend markets. This is a gap he is trying to fill. He can’t have it both ways. But one clear lesson is the need for more research that builds on the knowledge he has created about the role of real estate agents in shaping preferences, upselling buyers, and reinforcing spatial inequalities. In noting the limitations of many current fair housing and related initiatives, Besbris concludes, ‘‘Indeed, the most potent efforts to reduce inequality in the housing market will be ones that decouple individuals’ financial interests from where they live’’ (p. 112). This sounds like the siren call of many scholars he cites at the beginning of the book who assert that housing is a fundamental right (as argued by the United Nations) and advocate the decommodification of housing. The right-to-housing initiative spotlights a growing movement— perhaps the subject of his next book. But that does not undercut the important lessons of Upsold, which shows how, in a variety of ways, real estate agents reinforce and perpetuate inequalities that frame the context in which agents and buyers interact.