Realtors Defiant in Face of Gov't Lawsuit

The AP reports:

Typically cheery real estate agents were seething Friday as they discussed the government's attempts to force them to share home listings -- the bread and butter of the realty business -- with Web-based competitors.

At their annual conference, executives from the National Association of Realtors, which claims to be the largest trade association in the U.S., said they are planning a vigorous fight against a lawsuit filed last month by the U.S. Department of Justice.


DOJ says the association would stifle competition if it goes ahead with a plan to allow members the option of withholding home listings from competitors' Web sites. Many of those competitors are nontraditional online services, which may "offer better services and lower costs," the agency said in a statement.

Lawsuit.