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Measuring the Efficiency of Residential Real Estate Brokerage Firms

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Abstract

This article measures overall, allocative, technical, pure technical and scale efficiency levels for a sample of residential real estate brokerage firms using data envelopment analysis, a linear-programming technique. The results suggest that real estate brokerage firms operate inefficiently. Inefficiencies are primarily a function of sub-optimal input allocations and the failure to operate at constant returns to scale rather than from poor input utilization. Regression analysis is employed to determine which firm and/or market characteristics affect efficiency levels. The results show that increasing firm size increases efficiency while choosing to franchise, adding an additional multiple listing service and increasing operating leverage decreases firm performance.

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  • Randy I. Anderson & Robert Fok & Leonard V. Zumpano & Harold W. Elder, 1998. "Measuring the Efficiency of Residential Real Estate Brokerage Firms," Journal of Real Estate Research, American Real Estate Society, vol. 16(2), pages 139-158.
    • Handle: RePEc:jre:issued:v:16:n:2:1998:p:139-158
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    1. Lewis, Danielle & Anderson, Randy I. & Zumpano, Leonard V., 1999. "An analysis of affinity programs: the case of real estate brokerage participation," Financial Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 8(3), pages 183-197.
    2. John D. Benjamin & G. Donald Jud & G. Stacy Sirmans, 2000. "Real Estate Brokerage and the Hosting Market: An Annotated Bibliography," Journal of Real Estate Research, American Real Estate Society, vol. 20(1), pages 217-278.
    3. Morano, Pierluigi & Tajani, Francesco, 2018. "Saving soil and financial feasibility. A model to support public-private partnerships in the regeneration of abandoned areas," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 40-48.
    4. Fei-Ching Wang & Wei-Ting Hung & Jui-Kou Shang, 2006. "Measuring the Cost Efficiency of International Tourist Hotels in Taiwan," Tourism Economics, , vol. 12(1), pages 65-85, March.
    5. Maoguo Wu & Rui Xie, 2015. "Impact of Internet Usage on Residential Real Estate Brokerage Firms’ Financial Performance: Evidence from Nanjing, China," International Journal of Management Sciences, Research Academy of Social Sciences, vol. 6(11), pages 515-528.
    6. John D. Benjamin & G. Donald Jud & G. Stacy Sirmans, 2000. "What Do We Know About Real Estate Brokerage?," Journal of Real Estate Research, American Real Estate Society, vol. 20(1), pages 5-30.
    7. Yang, Guo-liang & Fukuyama, Hirofumi & Chen, Kun, 2019. "Investigating the regional sustainable performance of the Chinese real estate industry: A slack-based DEA approach," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 84(C), pages 141-159.
    8. Jui-Kou Shang & Wei-Ting Hung & Fei-Ching Wang, 2008. "Service outsourcing and hotel performance: three-stage DEA analysis," Applied Economics Letters, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 15(13), pages 1053-1057.
    9. Kerem Yavuz Arslani & Christopher Hannum & Wendy Usrey & Laurie Dufloth, 2018. "A Spatial Model for Market Concentration Measure," ERES eres2018_164, European Real Estate Society (ERES).
    10. Randy I. Anderson & Danielle Lewis & Leonard V. Zumpano, 2000. "X-Inefficiencies in the Residential Real Estate Market: A Stochastic Frontier Approach," Journal of Real Estate Research, American Real Estate Society, vol. 20(1), pages 93-103.
    11. John C. Topuz & Ali F. Darrat & Roger M. Shelor, 2005. "Technical, Allocative and Scale Efficiencies of REITs: An Empirical Inquiry," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(9‐10), pages 1961-1994, November.
    12. Isik, Ihsan & Topuz, John C., 2017. "Meet the “born efficient” financial institutions: Evidence from the boom years of US REITs," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 70-99.
    13. John D. Benjamin & Peter Chinloy & Donald Jud & Daniel T. Winkler, 2005. "Technology and Real Estate Brokerage Firm Financial Performance," Journal of Real Estate Research, American Real Estate Society, vol. 27(4), pages 409-426.
    14. Leonard V. Zumpano & Harold W. Elder & Randy I. Anderson, 2000. "The Residential Real Estate Brokerage Industry: An Overview of Past Performance and Future Prospects," Journal of Real Estate Research, American Real Estate Society, vol. 19(2), pages 189-208.
    15. Lewis, Danielle & Webb, James R., 2007. "Potential cost synergies from banks acquiring real estate brokerage services," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 31(8), pages 2347-2363, August.
    16. Lingxiao Li & Abdullah Yavas, 2015. "The Impact of a Multiple Listing Service," Real Estate Economics, American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association, vol. 43(2), pages 471-506, June.
    17. Jonathan Wiley & Justin Benefield & Marcus Allen, 2014. "Cyclical Determinants of Brokerage Commission Rates," The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, Springer, vol. 48(1), pages 196-219, January.
    18. Anderson, Randy I. & Fok, Robert & Springer, Thomas & Webb, James, 2002. "Technical efficiency and economies of scale: A non-parametric analysis of REIT operating efficiency," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 139(3), pages 598-612, June.
    19. John D. Benjamin & Peter Chinloy & Donald Jud & Daniel T. Winkler, 2006. "Franchising in Residential Brokerage," Journal of Real Estate Research, American Real Estate Society, vol. 28(1), pages 61-70.
    20. Eli Beracha & Zifeng Feng & William G. Hardin, 2019. "REIT Operational Efficiency: Performance, Risk, and Return," The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, Springer, vol. 58(3), pages 408-437, April.
    21. Groot, Tom & Garcia-Valderrama, Teresa, 2006. "Research quality and efficiency: An analysis of assessments and management issues in Dutch economics and business research programs," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 35(9), pages 1362-1376, November.

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    • L85 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Services - - - Real Estate Services

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