Homebuyers who paid a real estate broker commission on a home listed through a Multiple Listing Service could be entitled to a share of a $120.3 million settlement, with a claim-filing deadline set for October 27. The money resolves a federal antitrust class action that accused the National Association of Realtors and dozens of brokerages of conspiring to inflate broker commissions nationwide.
The case, known as Tuccori et al. v. At World Properties, LLC et al., was filed in the Circuit Court of Cook County; the litigation later proceeded in connection with a federal case in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division, and is overseen by U.S. District Judge Lindsay C. Jenkins, according to the Homebuyer Antitrust Settlement claims portal. As reported by Cleveland.com, the lawsuit accused NAR and the brokerages of raising prices and fixing broker commissions, which allegedly resulted in inflated home costs and reduced buyer-broker services, though NAR and the brokerages have not admitted wrongdoing related to the antitrust allegations.
The $120,334,500 fund draws from a long list of defendants, with the National Association of Realtors contributing the largest share at $52.25 million. HomeServices of America and its affiliates added $30 million, Hanna Holdings put in $8.25 million, and eXp World Holdings contributed $4.335 million, per the Homebuyer Settlement FAQ page. The FAQ also identifies Anywhere Real Estate and Compass as defendants but does not specify contribution amounts for either. In all, 30 brokerage companies signed onto the global agreement, according to the same source.
A Long Roster of Brokerage Defendants
Beyond the big national names, the settlement also names smaller and regional firms as covered defendants, including Real Estate One Inc., Engel & Völkers Americas Inc., Realty Executives Intl. Svcs. LLC, Silvercreek Realty Group LLC, Fathom Realty LLC, HomeSmart International LLC, Shorewest Realtors Inc., Realty One Group Inc., Real Broker LLC, Vanguard Properties Inc., Baird & Warner Inc., Illustrated Properties LLC, The Real Brokerage Inc., The Keyes Company, Engel & Völkers GmbH, Side Inc. and NextHome Inc., per Cleveland.com. Also covered are several companies operating under different brand names, including Equity Realtors LLC, which does business as Equity Real Estate, Kempa and Associates, which operates as Realty One Group Excel, and UMRO Realty Corp, which does business as The Agency.
Payment amounts will vary according to how much each class member paid in commissions, with those who paid the largest commissions receiving the largest payments, according to Cleveland.com. Homebuyers are eligible to receive part of the settlement if they purchased a home listed on an MLS anywhere in the United States where a commission was paid to a brokerage, the outlet reports.
Distinct From the 2024 Seller Settlement
It is important for buyers to understand that this pool of money is entirely separate from the widely publicized NAR settlement for home sellers. That earlier deal, covered in the related coverage of the seller payout, explicitly excluded buyers, according to ClaimBee. The $120.3 million fund exists precisely because buyers were left out of those earlier suits, known as Burnett and Gibson, and had to pursue their own separate legal action.
Buyers also had another settlement pool to consider. A separate nationwide agreement totaling $28.5 million was set up specifically for buyers who transacted with Keller Williams and RE/MAX, and it required independent claim submissions by August 25, 2026, per Can Colpan. That deadline has already passed, underscoring how homebuyers have had to navigate multiple, separate claims portals rather than one unified process, the report notes.
Deadlines, Documents and Legal Fees
Class members have until September 17 to opt out of or object to the settlement terms, an October 27 deadline to file claim forms, and a final fairness and approval hearing is scheduled for November 2 in Chicago, according to PR Newswire. Court approval is required before any funds can be released to claimants.
Homebuyers submitting claims must provide transaction documentation, such as a recorded property deed, HUD-1 settlement statement, or closing disclosure showing a commission was paid on an MLS-listed home, according to Top Class Actions. Failing to attach the required closing documents risks having a claim rejected, the outlet notes.
Class counsel has requested up to $40,111,500, or one-third of the global settlement, in attorneys' fees plus litigation expenses, according to Claim Depot. The remaining net funds will be distributed to approved claimants in multiple installments over several years after final court approval, since the defendants are paying out the settlement over time rather than all at once, the report explains.
Class Periods Vary Widely by State
Because the case involves multiple defendants and differing state statutes of limitations, eligible home purchase dates vary significantly depending on where a buyer lived and which brokerage was involved. Per Cleveland.com, the general class period covers December 8, 2019 through June 25, 2026 for most homes across the United States, while claims against Anywhere Real Estate and its affiliated entities reach back further in some states, including January 25, 2019 in Texas and most of the country, January 25, 2018 in states like Alaska, Colorado and Maryland, and January 25, 2017 in states including Arizona, California and Florida.
Some state-specific windows stretch back even earlier. Claims involving Anywhere Real Estate cover January 25, 2016 in Arkansas, Kentucky, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri and West Virginia; January 25, 2015 across a dozen additional states; January 25, 2013 in Wyoming; and January 25, 2011 in Rhode Island and Louisiana, according to Cleveland.com. The earliest window of all applies to Puerto Rico, where the class period covers January 25, 2006 through June 25, 2026 for claims against Anywhere Real Estate, per the same report. Separately, a class period covering December 8, 2017 through June 25, 2026 applies in states including Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, while a shorter window from December 8, 2018 applies in Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky and Missouri.
Commission Rates Have Not Fallen Everywhere
The settlement arrives alongside broader industry rule changes meant to increase competition over broker fees. Under nationwide policy changes stemming from the commission litigation, NAR mandated rules effective August 17, 2024, that banned buyer-broker compensation offers on Multiple Listing Services and required agents to execute written representation agreements with buyers before touring homes, according to the National Association of Realtors. Those written agreements must state negotiable compensation amounts, the trade group notes.
Despite those changes, real-world pricing has not necessarily followed the intended path toward lower fees. A Hoodline report examined housing-market conditions in San Antonio and Texas, providing broader context on the market.
The National Association of Realtors, based in Chicago, Illinois, states that its broader mission is to empower realtors as they preserve, protect and advance the right to real property for all. For now, homebuyers who believe they qualify have until October 27 to gather their closing paperwork and file a claim before the fund moves toward final distribution.
