Ethics and Lobbying: The Case of Real Estate Brokerage
Journal of Business Ethics · 2008 · Volume 80 · Issue 1
DOI: 10.1007/s10551-007-9434-0
Abstract
Members of licensed occupations benefit from legal standards that limit entry into their professions. Is it ethical for these professionals to give political support to these standards? I examined the case of real estate brokers and found that their educational requirements raise average commissions by one quarter of a percentage point, costing consumers $5.4 billion per year without improving the quality of brokerage services. The case raises interesting ethical issues which are difficult to resolve.
Keywords
brokerage, ethics, real estate, regulation
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