Competition and Opportunity in Real Estate

REALTORS® are mostly small business owners who ensure buyers and sellers experience the greatest transparency, choice and efficiency through independent, local broker marketplaces that level the playing field for all types and sizes of residential real estate brokerages.

View the FAQ’s for Competition in Real Estate here!

Fostering Competition

Create Connections, Local broker marketplaces create the largest opportunity for connections between real estate agents with properties to sell and those with clients looking to buy.

Ensure Reliable Data Access, When brokers input information into local broker marketplace databases, they create hubs of trusted, verified information where all participants have equitable access.

Encourage Entrepreneurship, Because of lower barriers to entry enabled by local broker marketplaces, new market entrants can advance technology, consumer service and other innovations.

Enable Comprehensive Marketplaces, Access to inventory and widespread advertising, along with the practice of the listing broker paying the buyer brokers’ compensation, incentivizes local broker participation.

Advance Small Business, Compiling housing information that is accessible to all businesses, in one place, allows smaller real estate brokerages to compete with larger ones.

Provide Unprecedented Competition, Many different service and fee business models – from varied commission models to flat fees – thrive in local broker marketplaces.

Consumer Access & Opportunity

Advance Affordability, The seller broker paying the buyer broker’s compensation for finding a buyer allows home buyers to have a better shot at affording a home and professional representation.

Provide Largest Home Sale Source, Each local broker marketplace provides instant exposure to the largest possible pool of potential buyers for sellers and the greatest number of housing options for buyers.

Lead the World, The U.S. model of broker marketplaces is considered the best value, with no hidden or extra costs and with verified information that is more complete and accessible.

Create Consumer Choice, Buyers and sellers have many choices about the brokers with whom they work – from how they are paid to specific expertise to customer service – all at market-driven prices.

Source Reliable Data, Consumers can confidently rely on information because real estate agents share complete housing data backed by guidelines that ensure accuracy and transparency.

Ensure Equity, All publicly marketed property listings are widely available and accessible to all consumers via their real estate agent on local broker marketplaces.

Support Competitive Compensation, The free market sets broker commission costs within markets based on factors such as service, consumer preference and what the market can bear.

REALTORS® as Champions

Lead as Entrepreneurs, Most REALTORS® are small business owners – 65% of whom are women – who exemplify the entrepreneurial spirit of this country. 

Contribute to Local Economy, Every home sale generates more than $100,000 in local economic activity, and every two home sales support one American job.

Build Wealth, REALTORS® help people achieve homeownership, the best and most accessible way for American families to build generational wealth.

Advise as Experts & Stewards, REALTORS® help people navigate financial, legal and community aspects of selling or buying a home in what are the most complex and consequential transactions most will ever make.

Support Communities, As engaged neighbors, REALTORS® are committed to enhancing the communities they serve through significant philanthropy work and by advocating for fair housing for all.

Protect Consumers, Every REALTOR® is bound by a strict code of ethics based on professionalism, consumer protection, and the golden rule of do unto others as you would have them do unto you.