REX, a real estate developer, recently announced in a press release that Realogy Holdings Corp. has also openly challenged the National Association of Realtors (NAR) to eliminate the mandatory commission payment requirement for homeowners.

Realogy's challenge followed a letter sent by REX CEO Jack Ryan to NAR President Charlie Oppler on Sept. 30, 2021, requesting an end to the mandatory commission payment, according to an Associated Press report.

"We are very much opposed to any NAR rule that prohibits homebuyers from negotiating commissions paid to real estate brokers," Ryan stated in his letter. "One of those rules is the mandatory offer of compensation to buyer brokers, which deprives consumers of choice and drives up the cost of homeownership."

Lynley Sides, president and co-founder of REX, also praised Realogy in the press release, stating that it was a "great day for consumer choice."

NAR has encountered backlash for its anti-competitive price hikes of consumers and is currently facing three significant lawsuits in federal court regarding its "opposition to consumer choice."

Defendants have so far been unsuccessful in their attempts to get these claims dismissed by federal judges.

The Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission are conducting a civil investigation demand into NAR's allegedly anticompetitive practices.

On Oct. 13, 2021, the U.S. Justice Department stated in a court document linked to its probe into NAR that real estate commissions "have barely budged" despite evidence of price competition in other sectors of the economy as a result of technological advancements.

Most recently, an Oregon federal judge remarked in December 2021 that REX made "compelling arguments that excessive fixed broker commissions harm consumers and the housing market itself." That same month, REX beat a third dismissal motion in its case against NAR.

REX maintains that it is committed to the fight for consumer choice.