C
ourt documents outline the final details of the Sitzer/Burnett settlement, a landmark case that has reshaped residential real estate after five years of litigation. The defendants - The National Association of Realtors, Anywhere, RE/MAX, HomeServices of America and Keller Williams - settled for over $876 million, with NAR's deal covering hundreds of MLSs, Realtor associations, smaller brokerage firms, and thousands of member agents.

    The final judgment, signed by Judge Stephen Bough on January 15, closes the door on sell-side commissions litigation for covered parties in other cases, such as Moehrl and Nosalek. Of the eligible class members, 40 sellers opted out to pursue future litigation independently.

    The combined settlement of over $1 billion applies to all persons who sold a home listed on a multiple listing service in the US where a commission was paid within certain date ranges ending August 17, 2024. This includes sellers whose homes were listed on MLS PIN or other non-Realtor MLSs that opted into the deal.

    The filing lists the brokerages and MLSs that opted into the settlement and those covered under the deal. The judgment resolves commissions litigation involving sellers but leaves lawsuits moving forward on the buy side, with some defendants still to settle or in the approval process. The settlement does not extend to individual claims against brokers or agents for breach of contract, fiduciary duty, or other torts, except for excessive commission or home price claims related to the case.