September 15, 2005
Justice Department Sues National Association of Realtors
The Multiple Listing Service, familiar to any home buyer or seller, allows real property information to be available to realtors, even if their office or their real estate chain is not the listing agent. The Justice Department, however, has argued in a recent lawsuit that the National Association of Realtors' new policy restrains competition by allowing traditional brokers to block access to their clients' listing to the detriment of web-based brokers. The government claims that this policy often works against the broker's clients' interest in selling their homes by depriving non-traditional brokers access based on their business model. The DOJ press release can be viewed here.