From a recent NYT Article - Commission Accomplished:

"For starters, this legislation should make clear that multiple listing
services must provide all properly licensed brokers access to the
marketplace on equal terms. Moreover, while individual states are the
primary regulators of real estate markets, this legislation should enable
the Federal Trade Commission to monitor and pre-empt laws that are intended
more to protect Realtors from new competition than to protect consumers from
possible abuses by discount real estate agents."

It drew this comment: Let's face it guys, aren't we all fed up with this "protecting our data"
nonsense? Who are we protecting it from, the KGB? I totally agree with the
author that all properly licensed RE Professionals should have access to at
least all listings in the state they are licensed in. Just imagine how this
should register with the Seller: "Mr. Seller, I want you to understand that
your listing is very well protected, in fact only a few members of one board
in our county will see it. Isn't it just great?"

Saul's response:

You should have the right to protect the value that your listing contracts bring to you.

You should have the right not to let your listing contract value be used to put you out of business.

You should have the right to charge whatever you want to charge.

You should have the right to list buyers only if that is your choice.

You should have the right to go out of business if no one wants to work with you because the cost of doing business with you is greater than the value you bring to the consumer.

Listing contracts have a cost to create...stated here many times before. The critical mass created by the money and work of brokers and their "agents" (lower case) should not automatically go to the benefit of a FSBO who does not want to hire a broker but who wants to use the eyeballs captured by the broker.

A broker who wants to participate in an MLS, which is for brokers and not consumers, should be allowed if the broker agrees to play by the rules...ethics, etc.

This article may be well written, but it shows an ignorance of what it takes to sell real estate.

What is a discount if there is no standard commission? That statement right there alone shows a bias and ignorance of the writer of that op ed piece.

Saul