"It might effectively stop landlords from using brokers," he asserted.

Consumer advocates say banning the fees will mean lower interest rates for home buyers using brokers.

After those questions arose, the senior vice president began to use brokers from other firms to execute the orders.

"Geico had cheaper rates, anyway, perhaps because it wrote policies directly, without using brokers," he said.

For more information, see our guide on using brokers and forwarders.

Presumably, those who used brokers got the same benefit.

But as the couple's story shows, people who want to use Web-based brokers often have to fight to do so.

If you are interested in using their services, see our guide on using brokers and forwarders.

He threw them off by using different brokers to disguise his transactions.

People who use brokers also appear to be much more likely to be relocating to the city from elsewhere.