Trust Busting in Columbia, S.C.?

Should The Term "denies membership," be Replaced with the Phrase, "costs too much for membership.."?

Many of you read this (see below) in The State today. It will be interesting to see who is behind the lawsuit. On the surface, it seems like someone is miffed about the dues that the Multiple Listing Service charges.

As a Realtor, I don't have anything to do with this. All I do is pay my quarterly dues to the MLS, so that I can have access to the information it provides. This lawsuit is not from a "licensed salesperson." The lawsuit stems from a "Broker In Charge," who must pay a FAR bigger amount, than everyday licensed professionals.

Apparently, he doesn't want to pay his fair share of what it takes to keep this service running. Since he/she is probably a "discount broker," he/she may not be making enough to fulfill his/her promises to the clients his company serves. The company has probably bet "the house," that it can provide the same services that the full service companies are providing.

Real estate companies, Realtors and other licensees pay their fair share to be members of MLS, respectfully. I know I pay mine...

U.S. Sues Columbia Real Estate Brokers Over Listings

By Kristy Eppley Rupon - krupon@thestate.com
The U.S. Attorney General has filed an anti-trust lawsuit against a group of Columbia-area real estate brokers to prevent them from restricting competition.
If successful, the suit could lower the commissions home sellers pay real estate agents and would provide more access for discount brokers.

The suit says the Columbia-area's Consolidated Multiple Listing Service membership rules are set up in a way that denies membership to “brokers who might be expected to compete more aggressively or in more innovative ways than CMLS’s members would prefer.”

The CMLS maintains a database of homes for sale in the area and records of sales that help real estate agents set prices for homes. Information is available only to members.

The group is made up of 370 brokers who represent more than 3,100 real estate agents in seven Midlands counties: Richland, Lexington, Kershaw, Saluda, Fairfield, Calhoun and Newberry.