law
tie-in arrangement
A tie-in arrangement is an agreement in which a party requires a buyer to purchase a second product or service as a condition of buying the first. In real estate, an example is a developer who sells a lot only if the buyer agrees to list a future home with a particular broker. Tie-in arrangements can violate federal antitrust law because they restrict competition and consumer choice.
- Exam tip
- Learn the four antitrust violations: price-fixing, group boycotting, market allocation, and tie-in arrangements. A tie-in involves conditioning one sale on another.
- Example
- A broker who sells subdivision lots tells buyers they can buy a lot only if they agree to hire that broker's builder partner. That is a tie-in arrangement.
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Last verified: 2026-10-23