I recently saw an advertisement for a new organization called Broker Affiliates <http://www.BrokerAffiliates.org>.

I visited the website and supposedly it’s a “consortium of real estate brokers united together to promote openness in the marketing of real estate listings.” From what I gathered, the organization is creating a brokerage whose sole purpose of advertising real estate listings of member and non-member brokers. By being a licensed brokerage, it’s supposedly granted the rights to access and display listings from any MLS. Currently, its looking for brokers to help in this effort.

Has anyone joined or know anything in particular about the service?

It sounds like a very promising concept.

This is one rebate scheme they propose, the way I understand it:

"The benefit to the Realtor is that the MLS and his or her competitors are unaware the home was 'effectively' sold for less than the list price; housing prices can remain inflated within the MLS region; and the percentage discount may be written off as a tax-deductible marketing expense by the Realtor."

I've got to see how this is legal where I am. Concessions have an influence on appraisals and later assessments. The MLS data would definately be inaccurate.

This is not a broker organization. It is a for-profit company that has a web site (www.Mwendo.com) and a rebate scheme. They are looking for affiliates to push the rebate angle in each state and localities. An associated element is getting an IDX feed from your local mls for their web site.

The true broker organization is the NAR affiliate, the Council of Real Estate Brokerage Managers or CRB. Their web site is http://www.CRB.com. They have fairly strict requirements and great courses. Highly recommended.

They have a link to the US Dept of Justice that indicated where rebates/concessions are legal or not (http://www.usdoj.gov/atr/public/real_estate/rebates.htm)

I imagine any rebate needs to be disclosed on the HUD-1 prior to closing.

In most states, buyer rebates are allowed.

The problem here is that this entity is trying to manipulate mls reporting to distort sales prices. And, that is a problem. Deceptive. And, wrong.