Firms line up over REBNY site

Although the Corcoran Group and Prudential Douglas Elliman–Manhattan’s two biggest brokerages–have backed out of the Real Estate Board of New York’s plans for a Web site that would make all REBNY-member listings accessible to the public, other large firms say they are still committed to participating in the site. Brown Harris Stevens and Halstead, which together comprise Terra Holdings and make up Manhattan’s third largest brokerage company, say they intend to participate in the listings site, according to the Hall Willkie, who is on REBNY’s board of directors and is president of BHS. Warburg Realty, a 150-agent brokerage, also still intends to join the site, according to a spokesperson from the firm. Still, some small firms have said that they also do not plan on joining, or are adopting a wait-and-see attitude. more By Jen Benepe