Should the selling broker name be displayed on pending listings?

Does your MLS display the name of the selling broker/agent in the agent profile report for pending listings?

If so, why? If not, why not?

Recently my local MLS changed their long standing policy and removed this information field. Prior to this policy change, my MLS displayed the name of the selling broker and selling agent on all pending listings. A few agents have expressed concerns and want the display put back the way it used to be. A reversal of this policy is now being considered at the next MLS board of directors meeting.

Complaints have been heard since the policy change was instituted. Seems like buyer agents liked being able to view a pending listing to see who the winning agent was on a bank/reo "hot" listing. Somehow knowing this better enabled them to monitor those "unethical/greedy" REO listing brokers who were double dipping.

Some buyer agents also liked to call the winning buyer agent to ask how much the property ended up selling for before the closing actually took place.

Also it seems like competing listing agents often called the winning selling agent to ask them "off the record" for the selling price. They found this information "helpful" as they were preparing a CMA for a similar neighborhood property. BPO agents also enjoyed calling the winning selling agent for sold information to aid them in their BPO valuation preparation.

If this information is so useful and valuable to buyer agents, why not display the agreed upon "sales price" next to the selling agent name on pending listings?

I ask you, is this in the best interest of the seller? The listing broker? Obviously it is not. How could it be? Compromising the sellers "bottom line" before the official closing has taken place is not ethical or moral. It's against the REALTORS® Code of Ethics.

As a listing broker, I feel this information threatens the position of the seller. What happens if the deal goes bad and potential buyers learn of the sellers' previous "bottom line"? It is bad enough that the days on market information field is being used against the seller. Why should selling broker/agent name information be distributed on pending listings?