In an op-ed published by Inman, the National Association of Realtors President Charlie Oppler has called on the Department of Justice to honor previously agreed upon terms. The new letter follows NAR’s petition last month opposing a request by the DOJ that reneges on the terms of a settlement agreement that was approved by the DOJ in November 2020.
At the center of the argument are concerns over the Clear Cooperation Policy that bans pocket listings.
Seeing as NAR reports the Association has already begun to implement its terms, the DOJ is in breach of the agreement and the law.
Questions over broker commission rules were also raised by the DOJ. In the new op-ed, Oppler notes that paying a broker’s commission out of pocket at closing could put homeownership out of reach or force people to go through the home buying process alone and without representation.
NAR calls the original agreement with the DOJ pro-consumer and pro-competitive local real estate markets.
To read Oppler’s full column, head to Inman by clicking here.