<HTML> <HEAD> <title>WebForm1</title> <meta name="GENERATOR" content="Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 7.1"> <meta name="CODE_LANGUAGE" content="Visual Basic .NET 7.1"> <meta name="vs_defaultClientScript" content="JavaScript"> <meta name="vs_targetSchema" content="http://schemas.microsoft.com/intellisense/ie5"> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content='text/html; charset=UTF-8'> </HEAD> <body > <TABLE id="Table1" cellSpacing="1" cellPadding="1" width="100%" border="0"> <TR> <TD><b>Comment Number:</b></TD> <TD>518795-00110</TD> </TR> <TR> <TD><b>Received Date:</b></TD> <TD>10/21/2005 1:58:58 AM</TD> </TR> <TR> <TD><b>Organization:</b></TD> <TD></TD> </TR> <TR> <TD><b>Commenter:</b></TD> <TD>Forgues, Scott</TD> </TR> <TR> <TD><b>State:</b></TD> <TD>AZ</TD> </TR> <TR> <TD><b>Agency:</b></TD> <TD>Federal Trade Commission</TD> </TR> <TR> <TD><b>Rule:</b></TD> <TD>Competition Policy and the Real Estate Industry</TD> </TR> <TR> <TD><b>Docket ID:</b></TD> <TD>To Be Added</TD> </TR> <TR> <td colspan='2'>No Attachments</td> </TR> </TABLE> <hr/> <b>Comments:</b><br/><br/> I'd like to comment on the competitveness of the real estate industry. Here in Tucson, Arizona, competition amongst real estate agents is fierce. There are a variety of options available to buyers and sellers from full service agents to very limited service agents with a wide variety of fee structures. I believe that some people perceive that the cost of an agent's services are too high, but in reality, the services a real estate agent is not only able, but obligated, to provide is similar to a financial advisor (pricing), an attorney (contracts and negotiations), and in many cases a personal advisor (the myriad of personal issues involving buying and selling a home). Agents have to be multi-faceted to be effective and survive in the business long term and as a result should be well compensated for their services. Unfortunately, however, it is far too easy to get a real estate license and as a result there are many agents who just don't have the experience, training, or just sheer capability to serve clients effectively. As a result, these agents give a general perception that agents don't do enough and don't provide enough expertise or service to justify their fees. Often this is because agents are not required to disclose to clients their background or experience and education level. This results in people selecting agents who might be less qualified and less able to provide quality service and deliver value to their clients. In contrast, however, one reason the business is competitive is because there is a low barrier of entry to new agents. I believe that there should be a higher set of standards to enter the industry. If this were the case, competitiveness would still remain, but service levels to the public would be much higher. </body> </HTML>