patrick.net

That article is from 2005.

Nothing really changed. Realtors still infest all state governments. To quote from my own book:

The NAR has nearly one million members, making the biggest trade association in the country, with awful power to twist state laws regarding real estate. According to the Federal Trade Commission, “State officials have offered the opinion that virtually no proposed legislation relating to real estate has a chance of passage unless it is approved by the state association of Realtors.”

Most regulation of real estate is done via state law and state real estate boards, theoretically aimed at protecting the public. But in reality, nearly all state laws and regulatory bodies covering real estate exist to prevent alternative business models from threatening agent commissions. According to the Consumer Federation of America, more than 70% of real estate commissioners are real estate brokers or salesmen, an immense and ongoing conflict of interest which is never mentioned in the mainstream press.

Well, that sums it up. ): Wish there was a way to counter this, and make the mainstream more aware.

The NAR PAC has ranked first in terms of contributions to candidates for every national election since 1998 (that's as far back as the opensecrets.org data goes).

You can expect that trend to continue with whoever gets elected (they fund both Democrats and Republicans) giving them their quid pro quo.

Yikes. Scary.