[photopress:doj.jpg,thumb,alignright]This website put out by the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division is…Oh MY GOD!!!  It’s almost an indictment of the entire industry!

Most of you know about the lawsuit that is still ongoing filed by the Department of Justice against the National Association of Realtors.  There are a few other cases as well, noted on this website.

Based on the entire content of this site, which is well worth your time to peruse, it seems the DOJ is taking a stand whether they win or lose in the individual suits.

It’s a Call to Action.  Will the Industry respond accordingly?  Quite an amazing site!  Portions appear to have been written by Glenn Kelman 🙂

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Added to post from comments below.  What can Brokers do to help the DOJ’s efforts:

There are many things that Brokers can do to help.

1) Remove all commission language that reduces the mls offering to the Buyer Agent, if the Buyer Agent is not present when the buyer first views the property. In fact, I think the mls should not permit these clauses, as they are not being uniformly enforced, and in fact may be totally unenforceable.

2) Remove all minimum commission language directing agents with regard to agent client commission negotiations. While a Company can set a minimum amount that the agent must pay to their broker, they should not control the amount an agent can negotiate with a client.

Don’t you think it’s a bit odd that many agents will not pay a Broker for a whole year, what they would charge some clients for one move out-move in?

3) Clearly no Broker should permit talk within their office against any new business models. No talk about not showing certain property. No talk about how to combat the intrusion of certain business models on their income stream. In fact, I will not talk about commissions en masse at any office meetings.

I will meet one on one with any agent to discuss their individual goals and business plans. I can further discuss the amount the Company expects that particular agent to pay to the Company in a year’s time. But I will not discuss commissions as general policy, nor tell them what commission they must charge their clients.

Each agent is their own business. So any company that binds these separate businesses together as one commission model, is hindering competition in the marketplace. I know that’s a different way to look at it. But it’s true. No Company should have a policy that addresses in any way, the commission dollar that is not staying with the Company.