Commissions lawsuits

Despite a last-minute motion to delay the hearing, the proceedings went on as scheduled, ending buyer agent commissions litigation for the three brokerages.

Buy-side plaintiffs who claim the Anywhere, RE/MAX and KW deals go too far will still get their chance to make that argument in court May 9.

Anywhere, RE/MAX and KW deals at risk after new documents reveal a plan to include immunity from buy-side lawsuits, plaintiffs in the Batton case allege.

The Berkshire Hathaway CEO, along with Vice Chair Greg Abel, spoke about the HomeServices settlement and more during the company's annual shareholder meeting.

The filing comes just days after the company settled similar cases brought by sellers. The firm maintains its practices were “lawful and procompetitive.”

Firms that settled in the Gibson/Umpa case in March and April will have until later this year to finalize the agreements, but more than 20 defendants remain.

Get the facts about the major compensation lawsuits and recent settlements — and what they mean for agents, consumers and the future of NAR.

The last defendant standing in the Sitzer/Burnett case reaches a whopping settlement that will protect its 70,000 agents plus brands and franchises.

The court approved an April 19 request filed by the Gibson and Umpa plaintiffs to merge the lawsuits, which were both under the purview of Judge Stephen Bough.

The brokerages are the first to settle following preliminary approval of the NAR agreement by a Missouri judge earlier this week.

A hearing for final approval is scheduled for Nov. 26. The court filing also included information about who is covered in the nationwide class action.

Plaintiffs in Umpa and Gibson have asked the court to merge the two lawsuits. The antitrust cases cover similar ground and name several of the same defendants.

Sitzer/Burnett plaintiffs filed preliminary approval docs on Friday, triggering a countdown to opt in to the agreement process outlined by NAR and the courts.

The Supreme Court passes on a chance to weigh in, objections pile up, and Fannie and Freddie say it’s all right to exclude commissions from seller concessions.

PulteGroup, which potentially has thousands of claims as a seller, raised concerns about “needless and time-consuming” paperwork and lack of transparency.

The brokerage lost its bid to have the verdict tossed out, leaving it with fewer options as the lone defendant in the landmark commissions case.

The ruling leaves open the possibility of consolidation after settlements have concluded. But in the meantime, cases that had been on pause can move forward.

Attorneys argued that the home sellers “should not have to wait indefinitely to defend their verdict on appeal” and provided details about the case’s timeline.

Ruling could lead to further changes in industry practices by allowing the Department of Justice to revisit an antitrust case originally settled in 2020.

The firm argues that existing settlements in Sitzer/Burnett need to be finalized before a judgment can be made — and that won’t be an “uncontroversial” process.