NEXT
MEETING:
May 16,
2007 Washington, DC. Plant The Seeds for a Secure
Future.
Washington
Hilton Hotel, 5 PM
(in conjunction
with the National
Association of REALTORS® Midyear
Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo)
Planning
to Attend: Albert Hepp, Gary Ragusa, Pat Rioux, Derek Eisenberg,
Jude Smith
UPCOMING
EVENTS:
NAR Conference and EXPO November 13-16, 2007
Las Vegas
The American
Real Estate Broker Alliance, AREBA, monitors real estate trends
and innovation, state & national issues and legislation
related to real estate business models, competition and the
interests of home buyers & sellers who work with real
estate brokers and real estate service providers.
Some of
the current issues of interest are:
Mandated Minimum Services: Some state real
estate associations and commissions have sponsored regulations
that require all real estate brokers to provide a minimum
level of services, forcing sellers to buy services they
do not need or want. Such legislation forces flat-fee and
other alternative brokers to raise fees to provide the broader
range of services.
AREBA is in favor of letting the consumer choose what he needs from a service
provider who gives full disclosure to consumers and obtains their written
informed consent.
Rebates: Most
states allow rebates of commissions or fees on real estate
transactions but some states have existing regulations which
prohibit rebates and some states have proposed new regulations. The
Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission have threatened
lawsuits and that has resulted in some states removing the
regulations against rebates. AREBA is in full support of
rebates for consumers with full disclosure and written informed
consent.
Multiple Listing Service (MLS) Access:
Composition of Real Estate Boards and Commissions: The
Consumer Federation of America released a study in 2006 that revealed
that real estate boards and commissions are dominated by real estate
practitioners and they recommended greater participation by consumers. AREBA
is in support of more consumer participation as well as more enrollment
of non-traditional real estate service providers to reflect the changing
industry practices.
PAST
EVENTS:
AREBA Charter Meeting
May
15, 2006 2 – 5 pm, AMA
Executive Conference Center, Washington,
DC 20001
(Photo)
Jude Smith, Pat Rioux and Albert Hepp in
Washington, DC for Charter Meeting
