How open is the MLS really?
As reported in the Mortgage News Daily there have been numerous lawsuits against discount brokers, flat fee brokers, and fsbo websites, by various traditional brokerages and real estate associations. The rulings have been mixed, with FSBO websites being likened to online newspapers, so they are here to stay, while minimum service laws that limit consumer choice to only using full service brokers seem to have also been sucessfully implemented for the time being. What this portends for the future is anybodies guess, but many are watching the DOJ lawsuit to provide a roadmap for what is going to be deemed fair.