We examine a unique Korean data set, the Kookmin Bank apartment price index, which is based on broker appraisals, in order to shed light on how brokers determine valuation over real estate cycles. We build a repeat sales apartment price index as well as a hedonic apartment price index by using...

We examine a unique Korean data set, the Kookmin Bank apartment price index, which is based on broker appraisals, in order to shed light on how brokers determine valuation over real estate cycles. We build a repeat sales apartment price index as well as a hedonic apartment price index by using...

This study examines the impact of real estate brokers on the price of residential properties sold in 2005 in twelve French cities. The results indicate that brokers increase the prices of properties they sell even though they appear to have heterogeneous behaviours across cities. The impact of...

The author constructs a theoretical model to examine the effects of an inherent conflict of interest between a seller of a house and the real estate broker hired by the seller. The model is then used to calibrate the broker’s commission rates that would maximize the seller’s expected gain....

The author constructs a theoretical model to examine the effects of an inherent conflict of interest between a seller of a house and the real estate broker hired by the seller. The model is then used to calibrate the broker's commission rates that would maximize the seller's expected gain. The...

We test for pricing disparities in mortgage contracts using a novel dataset that allows us to observe the race and ethnicity of both parties to the loan. We find that minorities pay between three and five percent more in fees than similarly qualified whites when obtaining a loan through the same...

This appendix contains six sections. The first section compares our sample to the broader subprime mortgage market. The second section describes our algorithm for inferring broker race and ethnicity. The third section considers rejection and funding uncertainty as potential explanations for...

Using a search-theoretical framework, we study how a home seller's choice of whether or not to use a broker depends on different market conditions. We analyze the role that the broker plays in the house-selling process by examining the expected time-to-transaction, the expected transaction...

This paper documents uniformity in real estate commission rates offered to buyers' agents using 653,475 residential listings in eastern Massachusetts from 1998–2011. Properties listed with lower commission rates experience less favorable transaction outcomes: they are 5 percent less likely to...

We examine the market structure for real estate brokerage services across six large metropolitan areas, to see whether low-income neighborhoods or neighborhoods where house prices are low are as well served by real estate professionals as higher income or higher price neighborhoods. We collect...