WASHINGTON, D.C.-- The Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) today announced that they will host a joint workshop entitled “Competition Policy and the Real Estate Industry.” Prompted by the substantial changes in the real estate brokerage marketplace and consumers’ interest in a competitive real estate brokerage industry, the workshop will cover such topics as new and innovative brokerage business models, multiple listing services, and the implications of state-imposed minimum-service requirements.
The event, which is open to the public and the press, will be held on October 25, 2005 at the FTC’s Satellite Building Conference Center located at 601 New Jersey Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. The time of the conference is to be determined (consult the website below for updated information). Seating at the workshop will be on a first-come, first-served basis and there is no fee for attendance. For admittance to the conference center, all attendees will be required to show a valid form of photo identification, such as a driver’s license. Pre-registration is not necessary, but is encouraged. To pre-register, please email your name and affiliation to CompetitionandRealEstate@ftc.gov.
Any person may submit written or electronic comments on the panelists’ topics, either before or after the workshop. Comments should be sent to both the FTC and Justice Department and received on or before November 28, 2005. For further information about the workshop and for specific information on sending comments, workshop agenda, and contact information, please consult the Justice Department and FTC websites at http://www.usdoj.gov/atr/public/workshops/reworkshop.htm and http://www.ftc.gov/opp/workshops/comprealestate/index.htm.
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