A
recent court ruling has brought a temporary reprieve to three major real estate brokerages embroiled in homebuyer commission lawsuits. On Wednesday, US District Court Judge LaShonda Hunt granted RE/MAX, Keller Williams, and Anywhere's joint motion to stay the case in the Batton suit, pending a status hearing.

    The three corporate defendants had filed their motion to stay the case in June, citing final approval of nationwide home seller commission lawsuit settlement agreements. They argued that the settlements' terms prohibited non-excluded class members from pursuing claims against released parties, including franchisees and affiliated brokerages. The defendants also noted that one of the plaintiffs, James Mullis, had filed an appeal of the final approval order.

    Judge Hunt's ruling stayed the case for Mullis, Batton, and another plaintiff, Theodore Bisbicos, to "preserve judicial and party resources" in light of the potential appeal. Additionally, she took the defendants' motions to dismiss the suit for lack of personal jurisdiction under advisement, with a decision expected within 30 days.

    The stay does not apply to the sister suit, Batton 2, which includes Compass, eXp World Holdings, and other major brokerages as defendants. The discovery process in both suits is not scheduled to be completed until May 2026, over five years since the original Batton suit was filed.