What could Broker Joan have been accused of if she was alleged to have violated antitrust laws?

Broker Joan could be accused of violating antitrust laws for engaging in the allocation of customers or price fixing because such activities are direct violations of laws intended to promote fair competition in the marketplace. Antitrust laws exist to prevent anti-competitive practices and to ensure that no single entity can dominate an industry through unfair means.

Price fixing refers to the practice where competitors agree on the prices to charge for their services or products, thus eliminating competition and leading to higher prices for consumers. The allocation of customers involves agreements between businesses to divide or allocate customers among themselves, reducing competitive pressure and preventing favorable pricing for consumers.

In the context of real estate, if brokers were found to be colluding on commission rates or dividing territories for clients, it would create an uncompetitive environment that harms both consumers and other businesses. Therefore, these types of actions are specifically targeted by antitrust legislation to preserve the integrity of market competition. Other options, while potentially serious violations in real estate practices, do not directly pertain to the anti-competitive nature that antitrust laws aim to regulate.