A real estate broker whispers to you that they have an off-market listing that is to die for, but you have no idea what an off-market listing is. More so, the way the real estate broker told you about the listing just sounds to you like something is not right about the transaction. Is this pocket listing even legal?
A pocket listing means that the real estate broker has a listing that is not being advertised to the public markets. Isn’t that an illegal monopoly? In the State of New York, contracts or agreements that refrain trade are illegal and void pursuant to the General Business Law §340, or what is commonly referred to as the Donnelly Act. The Donnelly Act is New York’s version of the federal Sherman Antitrust Act where the state and federal laws require identical basic elements.
