Avoiding anti-trust discussions

The new “Instant Offer” feature touted on some online listing sites has caused many real estate agents to reconsider their use of these sites. Some Realtors® have suggested their organizations take a position on these features.

“We’ve seen many Realtors® speak out on social media about this issue and many have called for boycotts,” said Hank Lerner, PAR’s director of law and policy. “While individual brokers and agents can certainly make independent business decisions about distributing their own listing content, we want to caution members against starting or promoting group boycotts of Zillow. It’s unlawful for associations to encourage members to withhold listings or business from any company, or to adopt rules that would prevent them from doing so.”

The National Association of Realtors® encourages Realtors® to show their value to homebuyers and sellers.

Realtors® know and understand their local markets far better than a website can. Realtors® work with home sellers to prepare their home for the sale and market their home to a large audience. As a real estate professional, Realtors® negotiate the best deal for their clients.

“In the meantime, it’s best to avoid conversations that could be a violation of anti-trust laws,” Lerner added.