State Senate sets hearing for subpoenaed real estate firms after Newsday investigation

ALBANY — Rebuffed by real estate agents the first time, the state Senate has slated a September hearing to gather testimony in an ongoing investigation of housing discrimination brought to light in Newsday’s “Long Island Divided” series.

The Senate on Sept. 17 will hear from agents and companies who ignored a request to testify at a December hearing and subsequently were subpoenaed to appear. In all, 31 subpoenas were issued to some of the biggest names in the business, including Coldwell Banker, RE/MAX, Keller Williams and Realty Connect USA.

“This is part two of what we need to do next, which is get those agents in front of us,” Sen. Kevin Thomas (D-Levittown), chairman of the Consumer Protection Committee, said Tuesday. “We’re waiting to hear what they have to say about what Newsday found.”

The September proceeding will be conducted online and will include a “policy panel” from the real-estate industry to help form policy proposals, Thomas said.

The Senate originally intended to hold the proceeding in spring but it was postponed by the coronavirus pandemic.

Read the full story on Newsday.com.