FTC Resources for Reporters
Competition in the Real Estate Business
Real estate professionals are changing the way they do business: offering potential buyers the chance to view detailed property listings online, using websites to gather leads on potential customers, and using the Internet to match buyers and sellers. Some are changing the “menu” of services they're offering. More and more, consumers can choose among real estate professionals who do business on a “fee per service” basis and others who provide the full complement of services. Because buying a home is the single most important purchase many consumers will make, the Federal Trade Commission has enforced antitrust rules in the real estate business to make sure that increased competition continues to lead to more choices, better prices and stepped-up services for buyers and sellers. For instance, the Commission challenged a number of restrictive rules adopted by Multiple Listing Services (MLS) to keep low-cost and discount brokers off MLS listings and popular websites listing homes for sale.
News Releases:
- U.S. Court of Appeals Upholds FTC Order in RealComp Matter - 4/8/2011
- Countrywide Will Pay $108 Million for Overcharging Struggling Homeowners; Loan Servicer Inflated Fees, Mishandled Loans of Borrowers in Bankruptcy - 6/7/2010
- FTC Approves Fidelity National Financial’s Proposal to Sell Rights to Michigan Title Plant Assets to Data Trace Information Services, Inc. - 11/16/2010
- Fidelity National Financial Settles FTC Charges that its Acquisition of LandAmerica Subsidiaries Reduced Competition in Title Information Markets - 7/16/2010
- FTC Rules Michigan Realtors' Group Reduced Competition, Harmed Consumers by Restricting Access to Discount Realtors' Listings on its Multiple Listing Service and Public Web Sites - 11/2/2009
- FTC Charges Pittsburgh-Area MLS With Illegally Restraining Competition - 1/9/2009
Reports and Workshops:
- Competition Policy and the Real Estate Industry (Workshop)
- Competition in the Real Estate Brokerage Industry – April, 2007
- Improving Consumer Mortgage Disclosures – June, 2007
Business Education:
- Case filings
- Advocacy and outreach
- Advocacy letters
- Other outreach efforts
- Map of cases and advocacies
Congressional Testimony:
- Improving Consumer Protections in Subprime Lending – April 29, 2008
Consumer Education: