Why is the Biden administration so focused on attacking solo female entrepreneurs?

Recently a jury comprising of 6 non-homeowners handed down an award in what is known as the Sitzer | Burnett class action suit. The award was $1.8 billion dollars in a suit suggesting REALTORS were involved in a “cartel”, facilitated by the multiple listing service (MLS), to keep real estate commissions artificially high.  We, the National Association of REALTORS, and 2 other real estate franchisors are appealing this ruling.

It was also recently discovered that the plaintiffs in the case had been is close communication with the DOJ before, during and after the trial ended.

The average REALTOR is a 59 year woman and is classified as an independent contractor.  Selling real estate is commission only sales job with no salary, and no benefits.  Why do these 59 year old women strike so much fear in the heart of the federal government?  Surely there are other pressing issues facing our country.

Buying a home isn’t the same as buying a stock.

In a recent hit piece the WSJ cited that since the advent of the internet prices have been slashed on  “stockbroker commissions”, but not real estate.  What may seem obvious, to everyone but the WSJ, buying a home is not like buying a stock, or a book, or a plane ticket.  3 factors come to mind. 

1. Buying and selling a home is typically the largest transaction anyone does in their life. 

2. Buying and selling a home is not a transaction done often, statistics show it might be once every 10 years after you become an adult. 

3. And last but not least is that buying or selling a home is an emotional experience. 

Due to these 3 core issues consumers have chosen time and time again (in fact in 2022, more consumers choose to use a REALTOR than ever before) to hire a trusted advisor.

The 1.5% vs. 6% Lie

Plaintiffs in the Sitzer | Burnett case and others have highlighted that in other countries consumers pay closer to 1.5% for real estate commissions, where in the United States the number is closer to 6%. The truth is consumers in the US have always had choices.  Discount brokerages offer real estate services for much lower than 6%.  In fact very recently Redfin did a nationwide campaign with big red billboards all over the country touting a 1% listing fee, which is less than the 1.5% fee touted by plaintiffs.

So the 1.5% vs 6% is a lie.  Consumers can always negotiate a commission and there are many brokerages and agents offering discounted services.  Don’t believe us, just Google, “flat fee real estate services” and search the over 29 million results.

Would consumers prefer a world where they would have no idea what the house across the street sold for?

Since the birth of the World Wide Web, and the launch of portals like Zillow, real estate listing data is now readily accessible everywhere, a sharp contrast to the rest of the world.  This is mostly due to the multiple listing service (MLS).  The plaintiffs falsely say that the structure and ownership of the MLS forces higher commission rates. This is simply not the truth.  The MLS is one of this country’s greatest inventions and an essential tool of every REALTOR.  The MLS brings together sellers and buyers. It’s reliable. It helps hundreds of thousand agents make a living and brings families together. It’s the operating system of the American Dream.  

The federal government wants to shut down the MLS, which would create a environment of less transparency and bring us back to companies gatekeeping real estate data which would make it more difficult to make offers on properties for sale and finding properties on the internet.

We at the National Association of REALTORS will fight for our members, the open real estate market, and will not let the federal government destroy the American Dream.