Bruce Hahn writes another letter to Inman News. Of course it gets published, Bruce’s letters always get published on Inman News. I’ve posted about Bruce before, in this post and
in this one. It is a big secret who pays Bruce. He likes to advance the idea that it doesn’t matter who pays him, only the viewpoint he is forwarding is what matters. I don’t buy it. Say what you will about NAR (I do:-) but how they get their funding isn’t a secret. What agenda they are pushing, or why, isn’t a secret either.
I want there to be a record of Bruce’s letters. Some day it will eventually be obvious who has been paying Bruce to write these letters and paying him to not tell anyone who they are. In the meantime, here is his latest:
Dear Editor:
Given NAR’s concerns about the objectivity of the Justice Department’s competition and real estate Web site, I checked the consumer education section of NAR’s Web site to see how NAR’s descriptions of the features of the various real estate brokerage business models compared with those of DOJ. I couldn’t find any information at all on any of the real estate brokerage business models on the consumer education section of NAR’s site. This is curious since you would think educating home buyers and home sellers about the various types of real estate brokerage business models and their features would be a great fit for NAR.
I think NAR should stop beefing about DOJ’s and FTC’s efforts to educate consumers about the various real estate business models until it has something superior to offer. NAR has among its membership traditional and minimum-service brokers, EBAs and many other business models. It should appoint task forces, with every segment equally represented, which would be asked to work together to develop objective consumer education materials on the various alternative brokerage models home buyers and sellers might wish to consider.
For even greater balance NAR might also seek input from some of the other real estate brokerage associations and consumer organizations interested in this area. This would give NAR the opportunity to both improve upon DOJ’s efforts and answer those critics who accuse NAR of being a shill for large traditional megabrokers.
Bruce Hahn
President
American Homeowners Grassroots Alliance
J. Ferris says:
He makes an interesting point but the DOJ site is very biased towards discount/fee service brokers so (for once) I’m happy to see NAR respond to their site and lay into how one sided it is. What Mr. Hahn should have requested, though it’d go against his point, is a website that offers an (OMG!) unbiased summary of the various real estate models. The DOJ website’s bias is pretty obvious in a very lame way.
I especially love their choice of quotes from real estate agents:
“I think this would just take money right out of our pocket.”
“If we give rebates and inducements, it would get out of control and all clients would be wanting something. The present law keeps it under control.”
October 24, 2007 — 11:07 pm
Thomas Johnson says:
Russell- They claim to be a 501-c-3 corp. Doesn’t that mean there is a filing somewhere?
October 25, 2007 — 11:04 am
Chris says:
Who is this guy and whats the “American Homeowners Grassroots Alliance”? Never heard of it.
October 25, 2007 — 12:17 pm