It is not just Keller Williams agents who do the right thing.

Singling out a firm an not paying them the same as others, seems like a form of discrimination.

I thought this matter was settled long ago, denying co-op to specific brokers. 

Am I wrong.  GEEZ!  Not I've got to research it.

Not in the spirit of the co-op. 

This doesn't sound right to me either. Sounds preposterous, actually.

I just took the CORE course, and I don't think we even mentioned this situation. Maybe the course developer didn't think it needed to be covered, as they thought it had been settled long ago too.

Perhaps the MLS Rules are different in Iowa, than Florida, but I sincerely doubt it. For an office to select a specific member organization of the area board of Realtors and state commissions would not be paid as advertised in the MLS is a strict violation of anti-trust laws. This smacks of a publicity stunt. Where is the response from the supposed violating company? There must be something more to the story.

I remember this story when it broke last year. This business is tough enough without excluding one of the top firms in town from the commission pool. Stupid people get what they deserve.

Richard-I can see the problem as a business dispute, not really worthy of a press release. Too much "inside baseball" to be of real interest to general population and certainly not appropriate to be used as an inducement to use those REALTORS. I also understand the demeaning part too. Do the law suit, but advertising this does our industry no kudos, at least that's the way it looks to me.

Richard, hmmmm. I read your link and once I got beyond the wordiness and holier than thou ness of the article, all I can say is...glad I don't work in DesMoines!  If indeed the local MLS allowed that behavior without denying the offending firm access to MLS then shame on that MLS.

Without knowing an unbiased version of this history, it seems that there could have been a whole different whistle blower campaign initiated by buyers in the form of a public letter to the listers of the Evil Empire company asking if they were aware that they were listed with a firm who was jeapordizing the fullest exposure to their listings by not paying KW co-brokes.  Unless, of course, the Evil Empire's listing agreements with their sellers stated that policy in which case...the sellers didn't deserve to have their houses shown.

If it happened that way then I guess KW wouldn't have gotten such a chest thumping opportunity to come across as superheroes.  As to dwelling on the "culture" of KW by KW, it reminds me of people who insist on telling you how honest and ethical they are or someone from any particular religious sect saying theirs is the only true religion.  I know lots of KW agents who would cringe before ever participating in this kind of publicity.  Thanks for a really thought provoking post even though the subject kind of creeps me out.

This kind of publicity is one of the reasons that the public has little respect for real estate agents.

We remember reading that Inman article a while back, and we just read it again. We also assumed it had been settled. I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but unless I totally missed something, I think KW will win this one going away. Having said that, I've heard of a lot of shenanigans that KW has pulled and see it even in our own market. For them to try to paint themselves as the only company who would "do the right thing" is a little disingenuous. I'd put our company culture up against theirs in a heartbeat.

Agreed Richard.  Offensive and demeaning to say the least.  If that's the culture that they teach then I'd look somewhere else to hang my license or as a customer to list my home.