Their participation made it too difficult for them to lie.

The way the current market is, they need a significant information asymmetry to make any money at all.

Realtor groups may quit statewide reports

By STEPHEN FRATER and MICHAEL POLLICK

STAFF WRITERS
stephen.frater@heraldtribune.com
michael.pollick@heraldtribune.com
The Naples Area Board of Realtors has long wanted to report that city’s results undiluted by lower-priced and worse-performing neighbors.

In fact, for the past few months, the board has refused to submit its sales and price numbers to the Florida Association of Realtors for its comprehensive monthly reports.

Marla Martin, an FAR spokeswoman, said the Naples board — representing the wealthiest median home sales prices in Florida — had raised issues with the state association relating to the presentation of the board’s sales and price data.

Martin said there have been recent meetings about the matter, and she expected some resolution soon.

Observers say that Naples’ strong, expensive but medium-small market does not want to be lumped into any other database because it could drag down the statistics.

With much the same sentiment, the Sarasota Association of Realtors would prefer to be judged only within the boundaries of its Multiple Listing Service, and it issues a monthly release timed to coincide with the FAR’s monthly statistics.

But it is uncertain where the group sets the MLS boundaries.

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