The Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice will hold a public workshop June 5 in Washington, D.C., to explore issues related to competition among residential real estate brokerages. The agencies also will invite the public to
submit comments on several topics online through July 31, including brokerage models and MLS practices. “Buying or selling a home is one of the biggest financial transactions most consumers make in their lives, and the residential real estate brokerage industry has seen significant change in recent years, including the emergence of new business models,” the FTC and DOJ said in a statement.
The topics the workshop will focus on include:
- Existing and emerging consumer-facing platforms for accessing listing information.
- Availability of listing information to consumers.
- Regulatory and competitive hurdles facing listing platforms.
- Changes in traditional real estate broker, brokerage, and MLS practices.
- The effect of antitrust enforcement actions.
- Obstacles and innovations in the real estate fee structure and service models.
Submitted comments will be posted on the FTC website.
Source: Federal Trade Commission
