Alexander brothers detail defamation claims against The Real Deal 

Five months after initiating a defamation lawsuit against The Real Deal, prominent luxury real estate agents Tal and Oren Alexander and their brother Alon filed their full complaint against the real estate trade publication on Monday.

How we got here: The Alexander brothers were arrested in December 2024 and charged with sex trafficking. The case spans decades and involves "dozens of victims" whom the brothers allegedly lured to isolated places using their "wealth and prominent position in real estate," and then drugged and raped them, according to federal authorities. 

The Real Deal began reporting on the allegations in June 2024.

Complaint alleges a 'false narrative': The Nov. 3 complaint, filed by the three brothers in the Supreme Court of the State of New York in New York County, seeks at least $500 million in punitive and compensatory damages. 

It alleges The Real Deal "intentionally and recklessly published a series of false and misleading stories accusing the Alexanders of rape and sexual abuse" and "refused to consider or publish anything that called into question its false narrative."

A 'clickbait campaign'? The complaint also alleges that Oren Alexander shared "exculpatory information" with The Real Deal that the publication chose not to publish in order to grow its subscriber base and appease advertisers.

"The Real Deal turned unverified allegations into a clickbait campaign," a spokesperson for the plaintiffs said in a statement. "They had the evidence showing these claims were false — and published them anyway."

In addition, the complaint says The Real Deal claimed Oren Alexander had threatened the publication on March 6, 2025, which the plaintiffs say is also false.

"TRD's unlawful conduct was knowing, malicious, willful and wanton and/or showed a reckless disregard for the Alexanders' rights, which has caused, and continues to cause them to suffer permanent and irreparable harm to their professional and personal reputations," the complaint says.

The Real Deal's response: In a statement shared with Real Estate News on Nov. 11, The Real Deal Founder and Publisher Amir Korangy referred to the lawsuit as a "legal stunt" that is "not about justice" but is rather "an attempt to stop investigative journalism and bully a newsroom for doing its job."

"The Real Deal's reporting was fair and conscientious, and we are confident the courts will see this for what it is — a frivolous and cynical attempt to weaponize the legal system," Korangy's statement said in part.

"We look forward to this case being tossed out, and we believe those who abuse the legal process to silence the press should be held accountable," he added.

Status of the sex trafficking case: The Alexander brothers are currently awaiting trial and have been denied bail by both circuit and appellate court judges. The brothers also face dozens of civil lawsuits from alleged victims.

Elliman ties: Tal and Oren Alexander worked for more than a decade at Douglas Elliman in the 2010s, when some of the assaults allegedly took place. The brokerage faced scrutiny over its handling of the assault claims, which likely contributed to the leadership shakeups that took place last year. Douglas Elliman CEO Howard Lorber announced his resignation in Oct. 2024, and days later, Scott Durkin, CEO of brokerage, was fired.

The Alexander brothers started their own brokerage, Official, in 2022. They have taken a leave of absence from the firm.

Editor's note: This story was updated on Nov. 12 to include a statement from The Real Deal.