The suit accuses NAR and major franchisors of breaking antitrust laws. The company's complaint includes alleged text messages in which agents refused to show Homie listings
The franchisor and plaintiffs offered different reasons for why HomeServices has yet to finalize its commission settlement agreement after announcing it had reached one for $250M in April
The class action suit filed by plaintiff James Lutz alleges that HomeServices, other NAR members, fixed commissions, which misled buyers and resulted in them paying inflated home prices
HomeServices was potentially on the hook for the remaining $4.7B in damages from an Oct. 31 jury verdict in Sitzer | Burnett, which awarded plaintiffs $5.3B
The US Supreme Court denied the real estate franchisor's request for consideration on Monday, but the plaintiffs won't be able to lay $4.7B in damages at HomeServices' feet — at least not yet
A panel of judges considering whether to consolidate real estate commission lawsuits into one cited the recent NAR settlement as a reason to deny the request
The Berkshire Hathaway affiliate says final judgment in the case shouldn't come before settlements are finalized, a process the franchisor does not expect to be 'uncontroversial'
The plaintiffs and defendants in the antitrust commission case indicated they would be available for a 3- to 4-week trial beginning Jan. 21, 2025, according to court filings earlier this week
Sitzer | Burnett plaintiffs asked the court to order the Berkshire Hathaway affiliate to pay most of the nearly $5.4B damages award after NAR, Keller Williams, Anywhere and RE/MAX settle
The court dismissed a federal antitrust claim in the case known as Batton 1, but allowed state-law claims to proceed, partially due to the argument that commissions are baked into home prices
The complaint — one of nearly two dozen targeting real estate's commission-sharing structure — alleges 'most' buyer agents will steer clients away from listings that offer lower commission
The franchisor filed a petition to the Supreme Court requesting the review of an earlier appeals court ruling barring it from enforcing arbitration agreements signed by seller clients
Homesellers allege 36 Realtor association, brokerage, and multiple listing service defendants conspired to inflate buyer broker commissions in violation of state and federal antitrust laws
Chris Kelly discusses the iconic brand's past and how he's preparing for a downturn while keeping an eye on iBuyers
Chris Kelly takes the top spot as Mary Frances Burleson, who joined the company in 1958, shifts her focus to Ebby Halliday's philanthropic efforts