U.S. sues Columbia real estate brokers over listings

By Kristy Eppley Rupon - krupon@thestate.com

The U.S. Attorney General has filed an anti-trust lawsuit against a group of Columbia-area real estate brokers to prevent them from restricting competition.

If successful, the suit could lower the commissions home sellers pay real estate agents and would provide more access for discount brokers.

The suit says the Columbia-area's Consolidated Multiple Listing Service membership rules are set up in a way that denies membership to “brokers who might be expected to compete more aggressively or in more innovative ways than CMLS’s members would prefer.”

The CMLS maintains a database of homes for sale in the area and records of sales that help real estate agents set prices for homes. Information is available only to members.

The group is made up of 370 brokers who represent more than 3,100 real estate agents in seven Midlands counties: Richland, Lexington, Kershaw, Saluda, Fairfield, Calhoun and Newberry.