Really? The gov setting the rate is the most sensible solution? It may have worked out well in this case, but that's an awfully slippery slope. I couldn't agree more that the commissions themselves are absurdly high, I just tend to think the gov's role should be to foster a competitive environment that would allow the market to arrive at a fair rate rather than picking it themselves

I agree, but maybe it should be a sliding scale based on what the house is worth. For a $100k house, even Redfin's flat fee of $5k-$7k is more than double the Netherlands' 1.85% cap.