NAR President Kevin Brown warns of outside forces threatening real estate marketplace

As his term as president of the National Association of Realtors (NAR) comes to a close, Kevin Brown is warning real estate professionals that outside forces seeking greater control of the industry could threaten the transparency and competition that are the backbone of the current real estate marketplace. In remarks prepared for NAR NXT in New Orleans this week, Brown drew parallels between the forces that contributed to the 2008 housing crisis and those he believes are now attempting to reshape how real estate is bought and sold. “Today, outside forces have once again entered our industry, and this time around it is our marketplace instead of our financial system, motivated by profits, control and market share,” Brown said. He did not identify the companies or organizations he was referring to, but his comments come as the industry debates the future of listing distribution, broker control of listing data and the role of multiple listing services (MLSs). Defending the MLS system Brown said he believes the MLS system remains essential to maintaining competition and giving buyers and sellers access to comprehensive property information. “America is home to the fairest, most accessi...