The Washington times., 1901-06-30
4 REAL ESTATE EXCHANGE.
Local Brokers Discussing the
Feasibility of Organizing.
Much Complaint Against the s|sun-
down" and 'Curbstonc'' Men Who
Do Business without OGIces-SOme
Legislation May Requested.

| DO business without OInces-SoI1e
| Legislation May Requested.
| number of the important local real
estate brokers are discussing the feast
| bility and desirability Of real estate ex-
| change or real estate mems association
for the furtherance cf legitimate busi-
ness methods and the protection of~recog-
| nized brokers against rcurbstone men"
! IT is said to be probable that some such
organization will be formed during the
coming summer or autumn.
The increase Of activity in real estate
| during the past few months has been
notable, and brokers generally are of the
opinion that the better business is only a
beginning. 1t is figured out that some
thing very like boom is due as busf-
ness in almost every other line has been
prosperous for two years or more now,
and it is generally not until general pros
perity is well started that real estate be-
: gins to reflect it. The prospect of good
times makes brokers doubly anxious to
reap what they consider their fair share
of the rewards 1t is stated by a number
of prominent brokers that recent in
| stances of unfair if not dishonest meth
! DDS in the business have been numer-
Gus and fragrant.
The objects of the organization, If it is
formed. will be several but they will be
/ chiefly along the line indicated. 1t viii be
the endeavor of the association to make
every recognized broker in the District a
member. Shutdown" brokers, who sell
real estate an adjunct to holding office
under the Government, Will be discour-
aged in every possible way Curbstene
brokers, who pay no rent and have no
other expenses and in many cases even
fan to pay the brokers license. will also
be driven out of the business If possible
1t Is said that these people. operating as
they do on the outskirts of the business
and under no expense cut commissions
below living limit and steal business
from each other and the legitimate
brokers, with no regard whatever for the
ethics of the profession.
A particularly fragrant method of the
curbstone artists is to offer property hap
hazard to a possible buyer without the
consent of the owner or knowing that the
owner has placed it in the hands of a reg
ular broker. Having found customer.
the curbstone man then sounds the owner
and sometimes makes a. sale bv offering
TO accept half the usual commission
Sometimes and frequently. of course, the
owner refuses to do business except
through his regular broker.
Another object of the associat ton will
be to secure a law upon the coming ses-
sion of Congress against all such curb
stone methods sof doing business The
State of New York has just adopted such
a law to go into effect on September l.
and its provisions have been studied care
fully by number of the local fraternity.
The law reads:
Section 64od. In cities of the first and
second class, any person who shall offer
for sale any real property without the
written authority of the owner of such
property. or of his attorney in fact, ap-
pointed in writing. or of a person who has
made written contract for. the purchase
of such property with the owner thereof,
shall be guilty of misdemeanor.'
1t has been suggested that with the i'm
portant firms of the District as an asss-
citation, asking for such a law, Congress
would probably pass IT, while the fngfiYid-
ual efforts of brokers acting separately