Current:Home > NewsAre real estate agent fees a racket? -MoneyMatrix
Are real estate agent fees a racket?
TradeEdge View
Date:2025-04-07 20:52:36
In the typical home sale, the home seller pays a commission, not just to their agent, but also to the buyer's agent. This fee-sharing arrangement is part of a decades-old practice involving what realtors call an "offer of compensation."
Others call it a conflict of interest.
That's the dispute at the center of a class action lawsuit that has the potential to upend the real estate business. Today on the show, we'll explain how real estate brokers and the National Association of Realtors allegedly conspired to inflate home prices by pushing agents to share fees. And why the industry says the plaintiffs should be careful what they ask for.
For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.
Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.
veryGood! (98631)
Related
- House passes bill to add 66 new federal judgeships, but prospects murky after Biden veto threat
- Here's a look at Ralph Lauren's opening, closing ceremony team uniforms for USA
- Business owners increasingly worry about payment fraud, survey finds
- NYU student's roommate stole $50k in designer items, including Chanel purse, lawsuit says
- DeepSeek: Did a little known Chinese startup cause a 'Sputnik moment' for AI?
- 'Middle of the Night' review: Childhood disappearance, grief haunt Riley Sager's new book
- Why Brooke Shields Wore Crocs to the 2024 Tony Awards
- Regret claiming Social Security early? This little-known move could boost checks up to 28%
- Jamie Foxx gets stitches after a glass is thrown at him during dinner in Beverly Hills
- Chipotle's stock split almost here: Time to buy now before it happens?
Ranking
- Charges tied to China weigh on GM in Q4, but profit and revenue top expectations
- Retired AP reporter Hoyt Harwell dies at 93; covered key events in the American South
- Adobe steered consumers to pricey services and made it hard to cancel, feds say
- American tourist found dead on Greek island; search ongoing for another U.S. traveler
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Hi Hi!
- Billy Ray Cyrus Files for Temporary Restraining Order Against Ex Firerose Amid Divorce
- An Oregon nurse faces assault charges that she stole fentanyl and replaced IV drips with tap water
- Ariana Grande recruits Brandy, Monica for 'The Boy is Mine' remix
Recommendation
Newly elected West Virginia lawmaker arrested and accused of making terroristic threats
Russian warships depart Cuba after visit following military exercises
Jake Paul to fight Mike Perry after Mike Tyson fight postponed
Stellantis recalling nearly 1.2 million vehicles to fix software glitch that disables rear camera
Toyota to invest $922 million to build a new paint facility at its Kentucky complex
From backyard lawns to airport fields, 11-year-old turns lawn mowing dreams into reality
Phony lawyer gets 14 years in scheme to dupe migrants and border agents in smuggling op
Get free iced coffee from Whataburger in honor of the summer solstice: Here's what to know