Manatt Antitrust and Competition Partner Dylan Carson was quoted in The Real Deal on the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) renewed antitrust investigation into the National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) policies.
According to the article, the DOJ initially agreed to stop its investigation into NAR practices in exchange for the organization’s changing several rules as part of a 2020 settlement. However, the DOJ may now reopen its investigation after a federal appeals court recently reversed the lower court’s decision and ruled in favor of DOJ.
The DOJ has a history of pursuing its own actions even if private courts have already intervened on a particular issue, said Carson. “DOJ likes to not rely on private practice to resolve competition concerns,” he said. “The government may want its own stamp on what the rules of the road for the real estate industry are.”
Read the full article here.