<HTML> <HEAD> <title>WebForm1</title> <meta name="GENERATOR" content="Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 7.1"> <meta name="CODE_LANGUAGE" content="Visual Basic .NET 7.1"> <meta name="vs_defaultClientScript" content="JavaScript"> <meta name="vs_targetSchema" content="http://schemas.microsoft.com/intellisense/ie5"> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content='text/html; charset=UTF-8'> </HEAD> <body > <TABLE id="Table1" cellSpacing="1" cellPadding="1" width="100%" border="0"> <TR> <TD><b>Comment Number:</b></TD> <TD>518795-00096</TD> </TR> <TR> <TD><b>Received Date:</b></TD> <TD>10/20/2005 3:28:48 PM</TD> </TR> <TR> <TD><b>Organization:</b></TD> <TD>RE/MAX Realty Group</TD> </TR> <TR> <TD><b>Commenter:</b></TD> <TD>Lenz, John</TD> </TR> <TR> <TD><b>State:</b></TD> <TD>OR</TD> </TR> <TR> <TD><b>Agency:</b></TD> <TD>Federal Trade Commission</TD> </TR> <TR> <TD><b>Rule:</b></TD> <TD>Competition Policy and the Real Estate Industry</TD> </TR> <TR> <TD><b>Docket ID:</b></TD> <TD>To Be Added</TD> </TR> <TR> <td colspan='2'>No Attachments</td> </TR> </TABLE> <hr/> <b>Comments:</b><br/><br/> To whom it may concern: Re: RE Antitrust public hearing The MLS is a cooperative, as with farmers, its a broker-to-broker offer of cooperation and compensation that help both brokers and customers buy and sell homes just like farmers buy and sell grain. It is not a public utility, nor should it be. The beauty of the MLS is that it allows real estate brokerages of every size to compete on a level playing field. It gives all of us access to an inventory of property listings that we are able to show and sell to our clients. The MLS doesn't discriminate. All MLS members are treated equally, regardless of their size or their business model, and yet the rights of property owners and their listing brokers are respected. The rules of the MLS achieve a delicate balance between respecting the rights of listing brokers so they will continue to be willing to contribute their inventory of listings and permitting cooperating brokers the ability to show those listings and be assured of receiving compensation if they bring about a successful sale. The public is not licensed, nor educated, nor held to ethics rules and violations as with real estate brokers, this is a tool of our trade, created to help all brokers help their clients. MLS is not for the public to showcase their properties, that is what the media is for. John Lenz / RE/MAX Realty Group Medford, OR </body> </HTML>