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Where did you get that from the article? > The complaint, filed earlier today by Attorney General Brian Schwalb, focuses on the multifamily landlords' use of s

by bko 3y ago

Where did you get that from the article? > The complaint, filed earlier today by Attorney General Brian Schwalb, focuses on the multifamily landlords' use of software from Texas-based firm RealPage, which suggests rental prices based on a pricing algorithm. Key to those models, according to the suit, is the data fed in from the landlords and the pressure RealPage puts on them to stick to the code-derived rental rates. It's a complaint. Nothing was filed yet. And it looks like they used a pricing algo to suggest a price? Im suggested a price when I sell on eBay, or StubHub or Facebook marketplace, or pretty much anywhere. I don't know how they "pressured" landlords but maybe a box like "we suggest market price to maximize returns!" eBay similarly warns me when I stray too far away. The pricing algo is actually a fabulous service. And if they're a property manager then their job is to find the market price and rent out apartments at the behest of landlords. I really don't see the technical issue here. You can say collude and conspire, but what does that mean in technical terms. And what does "being subject to" the algo mean? Exposed?

stale2002 3y ago
> You can say collude and conspire, but what does that mean in technical terms RealPage requires users to accept some % of centrally-decided prices. That's the issue. > And what does "being subject to" the algo mean? Exposed? No. It means being required to set prices to what the algo says, instead of being allowed to "defect",with lower price.
burkaman 3y ago
I got it from the linked Propublica investigation. There is quite a bit of information in there about how the software works and what the real-world results have been. I like your comparison to other marketplaces. If an overwhelming portion of a certain product were sold on eBay, and eBay suggested prices to all sellers that nearly all of them accepted, I would consider that collusion as well. If that product were a luxury good like Pokemon cards or something, I would consider the collusion unethical but maybe not a huge deal. If the product were a fundamental human right, like housing, I would be very upset and would want the government to get involved.

by bko 3y ago

stale2002 3y ago

> You can say collude and conspire, but what does that mean in technical terms RealPage requires users to accept some % of centrally-decided prices. That's the issue. > And what does "being subject to" the algo mean? Exposed? No. It means being required to set prices to what the algo says, instead of being allowed to "defect",with lower price.

burkaman 3y ago

I got it from the linked Propublica investigation. There is quite a bit of information in there about how the software works and what the real-world results have been. I like your comparison to other marketplaces. If an overwhelming portion of a certain product were sold on eBay, and eBay suggested prices to all sellers that nearly all of them accepted, I would consider that collusion as well. If that product were a luxury good like Pokemon cards or something, I would consider the collusion unethical but maybe not a huge deal. If the product were a fundamental human right, like housing, I would be very upset and would want the government to get involved.