At a business meeting attended by the heads of the top brokerages in town, the...

Agreeing—or even coordinating—on a minimum commission or listing fee among competing brokerages is price fixing, a per se violation of antitrust law. Maryland pre-licensing emphasizes that competitors must not discuss or set commission rates, fees, or pricing policies; each brokerage must independently determine its fees.

Group boycotting = competitors conspiring to refuse to deal with a party.

Market allocation = dividing territories/customers.

Tie-in arrangement = conditioning sale of one product/service on purchase of another.

References (Maryland Sources / Pre-Licensing Core Content):

Maryland 60-Hour Course: “Real Estate Brokerage Operations” (antitrust compliance: price fixing, market allocation, group boycotts, tie-ins).

Sherman Antitrust Act principles as incorporated in Maryland real estate education.

COMAR 09.11.02 (ethical conduct; avoiding anticompetitive practices); MREC guidance on commissions being negotiable and set independently by each brokerage.