Clear Cooperation Policy, Government-Style

A quick analysis of the Illinois bill HB 3452

As I imagine everyone reading this knows by now, I am a pretty extreme libertarian. We can get into the precise specifics of my oddball political beliefs, but know that I am generally opposed to all things government.

Which is why Illinois HB 3452—first reported by AJ LaTrace over at Real Estate News—triggers me. We know that this bill is backed by Zillow and NAHREP which raises additional questions, but for now, let’s just look at what the bill actually proposes.

The good news, at least for liberty-loving people like me, is that so far, this bill does not appear to have any traction. And it sounds like the powerful REALTOR lobby is not in support. From Inman:

Jeff Baker, the association’s CEO, told RealEstateNews.com that he believes the bill “was less about Clear Cooperation and was more designed to codify a real estate portal’s business model into state law.”

“The bill was never assigned to a substantive committee for further consideration after its introduction,” Baker continued. “Illinois Realtors is committed to ensuring the Real Estate License Act remains a model for both consumer protection and maintaining a fair and level playing field for real estate practitioners.”

Still, let’s take a quick look at what one legislator, NAHREP, and Zillow think would be a good idea.