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major real estate brokerage, William Raveis Real Estate, has agreed to settle with home sellers in the Gibson lawsuit over buyer agent commissions. The settlement comes as the plaintiffs and the brokerage filed a joint motion on March 12 to put the case on hold due to an impending agreement. While details of the settlement remain undisclosed, it's expected that the parties will file a preliminary plan in the coming weeks.
The settlement fund has already surpassed $1 billion in payouts from real estate brokerages, multiple listing services, and the National Association of Realtors. William Raveis operates in several East Coast states with around 5,000 agents.
Meanwhile, other key defendants like Howard Hanna and Berkshire Hathaway Energy continue to fight against the case, despite efforts to have it dismissed. Two other defendants, Weichert and eXp, reached separate settlements but are now under scrutiny.
In a related development, attorneys for Howard Hanna have asked U.S. District Court Judge Stephen Bough to recuse himself from the case due to alleged ties between Bough's wife and plaintiff attorneys who made campaign donations. A ruling on this motion has yet to be made.
