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Over a year after major real estate entities settled antitrust commission litigation, more than 2.5 million people have submitted claims to collect money in the cases.
That’s according to a new quarterly report from JND Legal Administration, the law firm overseeing administrative tasks related to major settlements in cases such as Gibson, Sitzer | Burnett, and others. Among other things, the report — filed in court Monday — reveals that up through this month JND has sent out 100 million emails and 38 million postcards to notify potential homesellers of the settlements.
Additionally, JND began staffing a contact center last July to handle inquiries about the settlements, and since that time has received “over 25,000 calls and 30,000 emails.”
This flurry of reaching out to, and fielding inquiries from, consumers led to the 2.5 million claims, which were submitted both online and via a paper form.
The report further outlines how much JND is making for this work. In total, between January of last year and May of this year the firm has invoiced $32,777,091.15. Of that sum, $5,919,220.72 remains outstanding.
The report includes a chart showing exactly how much JND charged for specific campaigns. For example, JND carried out a mail campaign related to the Gibson settlement beginning in July 2024. This led to nine different invoices, sent between last July and February, the largest of which was for about $6.3 million. That $6.3 million invoice has been paid, though smaller sums totaling about $7,000 remain unpaid.
Antitrust commission lawsuits dominated the real estate industry in recent years, gaining particular attention after a jury sided with homesellers who claimed the National Association of Realtors and major franchisors conspired to inflate consumer costs. The verdict, in the case known as Sitzer | Burnett, led to a series of similar lawsuits that eventually included virtually every major real estate company.
Settlements began pouring in after the jury verdict, and NAR settled in March 2024. The trade organization’s settlement included an agreement to change some rules, as well as the promise to pay $418 million.
Other major settlements included HomeServices of America, which agreed to pay $250 million, Anywhere, at $83.5 million, Keller Williams, at $70 million, Compass, at $57.5 million, and RE/MAX, at $55 million. These settlements alone, along with NAR’s, total more than $900 million. With various additional settlements, the total amount of money available is more than $1 billion, though how much individual consumers get to collect will depend on the total number of claims, as well as the costs of administering the settlements.
Tanya Monestier — a law professor at the University of Buffalo who has objected to the settlements — has argued that the plaintiffs attorneys in the cases could collect $333 million, but that homesellers themselves may only get $20 or $25.
Read JND’s full report on the settlement administration here:
