Regulator sues 13 real estate firms for price-fixing response to Trade Me

Regulator sues 13 real estate firms for price-fixing response to Trade Me
Sophie Boot
By Sophie Boot Dec. 17 (BusinessDesk) - Thirteen New Zealand real estate firms colluded in agreeing to pass on increased Trade Me Group fees for property listings as part of a response to the auction site's increasing dominance in the market, the Commerce Commission alleges. The competition watchdog filed proceedings in the Auckland High Court against realtors including Barfoot and Thompson, Harcourts Group, LJ Hooker New Zealand, Ray White Real Estate and Bayley Corp. It alleges price fixing and anti-competitive behaviour in 2013 and 201...