On March 15, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) agreed to pay $418 million to settle multiple lawsuits that claimed the trade group’s policies unfairly forced people to pay artificially inflated costs to sell their homes.
The settlement comes months after a federal jury found that the NAR and several large real estate brokerages, including Keller Williams Realty, Anywhere Real Estate Inc., and Re/Max, conspired to require that home sellers pay homebuyers’ agent commissions in violation of federal antitrust law.
Under the settlement terms, the NAR agreed to change decades-long rules that required brokers or agents who listed a home for sale on its multiple listing service (MLS) to offer compensation upfront to agents representing potential homebuyers. A MLS is a database established by cooperating real estate brokers to provide data about properties for sale, according to Investopedia.
In February, Keller Williams Realty agreed to pay $70 million and change some of its agent guidelines to settle agent commission lawsuits. Meanwhile, last year, Anywhere Real Estate Inc. agreed to pay $83.5 million and Re/Max agreed to pay $55 million.
Multiple VERIFY readers, including Denisse, Matt, and Rachel, asked if emails and postcards they recently received about the settlements were legitimate.
THE QUESTION
Are real estate agent commission lawsuits settlement notices legitimate?
THE SOURCES
- National Association of Realtors
- Real Estate Commission Settlement Website
- Court documents related to Burnett et al. v. The National Association of Realtors et al.
- Court documents related to Moehrl v. The National Association of Realtors
- Top Class Actions, a legal news website that reports on class action lawsuits
THE ANSWER
Yes, real estate agent commission lawsuits settlement notices are legitimate.
WHAT WE FOUND
Settlement notices related to real estate agent commission class action lawsuits against the National Association of Realtors and several major brokerages are legitimate, according to the official settlement website and Top Class Actions.
Those eligible to file a claim include anyone who sold a home during the eligible date range, listed the home on a multiple listing service (MLS) anywhere in the U.S. and paid a commission to a real estate brokerage in connection with the home’s sale. Top Class Actions says the eligible date range varies depending on which MLS the property was listed on. Click here to find a complete list.
Under the settlement terms, people who submit an approved claim form will receive a portion of the net settlement funds after attorneys’ fees, settlement administration costs and other expenses are deducted. Payment estimates are unavailable at this time, according to Top Class Actions.
You do not need to have sold a home using an Anywhere, RE/MAX or Keller Williams agent to file a claim, according to the settlement website. The deadline to submit a valid claim form is May 9, 2025.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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