Federal Trade Commission/Justice Department to Host Joint Workshop on Competition Policy and the Real Estate Industry

The Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Antitrust Division 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 Web site 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 both to the FTC and the Justice Department and they should be 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 FTC and DOJ Web sites at http://www.ftc.gov/opp/workshops/comprealestate/index.htm and http://www.usdoj.gov/atr/public/workshops/reworkshop.htm.

The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot,
stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish (bilingual counselors are available to take complaints), or to get free information on any of 150 consumer topics, call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357), or use the complaint form at http://www.ftc.gov. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft, and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.