Arvida Realty Services, which was known as Prudential Florida Realty, was recently sued for doing just that. Arvida's attorney would not comment on the lawsuit, because it is pending. State regulators have maintained that the fees are legal, if they are disclosed up-front to both buyers and sellers. Home sellers should watch for them to show up on listing agreements. They can ask agents whether they charge the fees when they interview them about selling their house.
Buyers can expect to notice the extra fees when they contract to buy a house.
Or, even before they ask a real estate agent to show them a house, they can ask whether that agent's company charges the extra fee. That will avoid the sticky situation of falling in love with a house, then feeling compelled to stay with the agent who shows it even if the fees are out of line. While more and more companies appear to be charging the extra fee, not every one does. Keller Williams, a national chain of real estate companies, doesn't charge the fee, said Pinellas broker Jack Bowman. Fred C. Segesman, a licensed real estate instructor and mortgage broker in the Oldsmar area, also holds a dim view of the fees.