Comments:

From: bhassan@briarwoodrealestate.com
[mailto:bhassan@briarwoodrealestate.com]
Sent: Thursday, November 03, 2005 5:10 PM
To: ATR-Real Estate Workshop
Cc: Press@Inman.com
Subject: DOJ vs. NAR

To begin with there is and always will be competition in the real estate industry. All of a sudden the DOJ is the watchdog for the consumer in a transcaction where they can determine the a) Sale Price b)commission c) terms and condition of the listing & the Purchase Agreement as well as a host of other items.
Title companies have had to deal with the fact that kick-backs are ilegal,why not in real estate. Minimum service? OK.
Let the consumer decide. If the inertnet is so powerful let the consumer choose one of thousands of FSBO websites and sell there home that way. If not than why isn't the DOJ investigating them for anti-competative practice. As a Realtor I can't advertise on their website. The whole argument is getting more ridiculous every day. The DOJ is just going to embarass itself. Which is not unusual for a for most government agencies at the Federal level today.
How about the budgetary waste at Hud and other agenices. You would think that the DOJ would have far more important problems to deal with.
I'm getting tired of the same old newsflash!! Discount business models are not new to real estate.
Integrity is also something that is not new to the NAR and it's state associations and members. Setting standards to protect the inegrity of the real estate industry and it's customers has been a priority from ethics training to designations. New business models need to compete and stop whining!!

Bernie Hassan
Briarwood Real Estate
31 Belmont St.
South Easton,Mass.02375
508-230-8200x14
e-mail: bhassan@briarwoodrealestate.com
www.BernieHassan.com
(Bernie Hassan is the host of "Real Estate Today" every Thursday 11am to 1pm on WBET 1460 AM.)