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A comment on Almost No One Pays a 6% Real-Estate Commission–Except Americans. Parent comment

Re:Almost No One Pays a 6% Real-Estate Commission–Except Ame... by underseacables on Friday November 17, 2023 @09:08AM (#38303744)
It has gotten much worse. Flower arrangement, interior decorators, every profession wants in on the licensure monopoly. There are definitely things where you want the state to make sure that someone has a minimum level of education and training. Medicine, law, engineering, but some things are not really necessary anymore, such as the dietetics license. Certainly not a license to be an interior decorator, or arrange flowers.

The license locks in professionals to continually give money to a private organization every year, and keep out everyone else.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/you-shouldnt-need-a-...

https://bostonrealestatetimes.com/advancing-commercial-inter...

https://citizens.org/dietetic-association-and-efforts-to-mon...

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Re:Almost No One Pays a 6% Real-Estate Commission–Except Ame... by walthamstow on Friday November 17, 2023 @09:14AM (#38303840)
I remember the John Oliver segment from a few years ago

The added layer that blew my tiny British mind was that the licensing is done by states (because somehow licensing barbers was omitted from the constitution)

The consequence of this is that if you want to move or if you live in a state border city like KCMO, you have to do the licensing all over again with another state. Bonkers, as we say here.

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Re:Almost No One Pays a 6% Real-Estate Commission–Except Ame... by PaulDavisThe1st on Friday November 17, 2023 @10:52AM (#38305218)
Imagine living in Dover, and deciding to move just 26 miles to Calais. Quelle horror! You will need to do the licensing all over again!

(at least, you certainly will post-Brexit; not 100% sure what the pre-Brexit story was on that, but I have a feeling it may have similar)

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Re:Almost No One Pays a 6% Real-Estate Commission–Except Ame... by walthamstow on Friday November 17, 2023 @11:21AM (#38305644)
I'd rather not imagine living in Dover if you don't mind
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Re:Almost No One Pays a 6% Real-Estate Commission–Except Ame... by PaulDavisThe1st on Friday November 17, 2023 @07:39PM (#38313123)
I missed your nick :) Fellow E11 (or rather, ex-E11-er) here.

I just picked it because it was closest to the border. You can have Brighton or Hastings or Rye if one of them works better for you.

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