The National Association of Realtors officials lashed out in an online commentary this week against a 'Competition and Real Estate' Web site launched earlier this month by the U.S. Justice Department's Antitrust Division.
It is the latest clash for the trade group and the federal agency -- two years ago the Justice Department filed an antitrust lawsuit against the Realtor group, charging that it approved overly restrictive policies for the online display and sharing of property information. That lawsuit is ongoing.
The Justice Department Web site promotes the benefits of competition in the real estate industry and highlights potential barriers to competition. Last year, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission -- another agency that targets anticompetitive practices -- launched its own Web site focused on competition in the real estate marketplace.
The Realtor trade group charges in its online commentary that there are 'few facts' and 'much fiction' at the Justice Department's real estate competition Web site.
Justice Department officials have said the site is intended to educate consumers and policymakers about competitive issues. The site highlights state measures that mandate a list of brokerage services -- sometimes referred to as minimum-service laws -- that consumers must receive whether or not they need all of the services, and state restrictions on real estate rebates to consumers as examples of barriers to competition.
Comments