Homebuyer Antitrust Settlement

A court authorized the Notice to inform potential Settlement Class Members about the Settlement. Settlement Class Members are entitled to information about the Settlement to evaluate their rights and options before the Court decides whether to grant final approval to the Settlement. The Notice explains the lawsuit, the Settlement, and how Settlement Class Members can get a portion of the Settlement benefits.

The lawsuit alleges that the National Association of REALTORS^® (“NAR”) and certain residential real estate brokerages created anticompetitive rules designed to keep brokers’ commissions artificially elevated. The lawsuit also claims that the Defendants participated in an unlawful conspiracy to implement and enforce these rules in residential real estate transactions. This conspiracy allegedly impaired competition in the market for residential real estate broker services nationwide to the detriment of consumers, who unwittingly paid inflated commissions as part of their respective home transactions, which in turn harmed homebuyers by inflating home prices and reducing the quality of buyer-broker services.

The people who brought the lawsuit are known as the Plaintiffs. In their complaint, the Plaintiffs plead legal claims for (I) violations of the Sherman Antitrust Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1; (II) violations of the Illinois Antitrust Act, 740 ILCS 10/1 et seq. and substantially similar antitrust statutes in other states; (III) violations of the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act, 815 ILCS 505/1 et seq. and substantially similar consumer fraud statutes in other states; and (IV) unjust enrichment.

The Defendants deny Plaintiffs’ allegations and deny that they have violated the law. Neither the Court nor a jury have considered or decided who is right or wrong. The Parties have negotiated and entered into the proposed Settlement to avoid the risk, uncertain outcome, expense and distraction of continued litigation.

The companies that the lawsuit is brought against are called the Defendants. The Defendants in the lawsuit are At World Properties, LLC, Baird & Warner, Inc., Real Estate One, Inc., Silvercreek Realty Group LLC, Equity Realtors, LLC d/b/a Equity Real Estate, NextHome, Inc., Realty Executives Intl. Svcs. LLC, Shorewest Realtors, Inc., Side, Inc., Engel & Volkers Americas, Inc. and Engel & Volkers GmbH, The Keyes Company, Illustrated Properties, LLC, Anywhere Real Estate Inc., The Real Brokerage Inc., Real Broker, LLC, Vanguard Properties, Inc., Compass, Inc., eXp World Holdings, Inc., Fathom Realty, LLC, HomeServices of America, Inc., BHH Affiliates, LLC, HSF Affiliates LLC, HomeSmart International, LLC, Hanna Holdings, Inc., Realty ONE Group Inc., Kempa and Associates d/b/a Realty ONE Group Excel, Umro Realty Corp d/b/a The Agency, United Real Estate Holdings, LLC d/b/a United Real Estate Group, Douglas Elliman Inc., and The National Association of Realtors^®.

In a class action, one or more people or businesses (called class representatives) sue on behalf of people or businesses who have similar legal claims. Together, all of these people are called a class or class members. One court resolves the issues for all class members, except for those class members who exclude themselves (opt out) from the class.

You are part of the Settlement Class and eligible to participate in the Settlement if you fall within the following Settlement Class Definition:

All persons who purchased a home that was listed on an MLS anywhere in the United States where a commission was paid to any brokerage in connection with the transaction during the Class Periods.

However, the Settlement Class does not include: persons who submit a valid request to be excluded from the Settlement Class; persons who have separately released the Released Claims against a Settling Defendant in a court approved class settlement in the Burnett, Gibson, Keel, or Hooper matters noted in FAQ 6, but only as to that Settling Defendant; the Parties’ counsel; the Special Master for Mediation; the Court and staff to whom this case is assigned, and any immediate family members of the Court or its staff.

For avoidance of doubt, the Settlement Class includes persons who purchased a home listed on any MLS, regardless of affiliation with The National Association of Realtors^®, including the Real Estate Board of New York, the REBNY Residential Listing Service, the Northwest Multiple Listing Service, West-Penn Multi-List, Inc., and MLS Property Information Network.

Your home purchase must have occurred during the “Class Periods” in order for you to be eligible for membership in the Settlement Class. The Class Periods vary by state and Defendant.

The following Class Periods are applicable to legal claims against Defendants At World Properties, LLC, Baird & Warner, Inc., Real Estate One, Inc., Silvercreek Realty Group LLC, Equity Realtors, LLC d/b/a Equity Real Estate, NextHome, Inc., Realty Executives Intl. Svcs. LLC, Shorewest Realtors, Inc., Side, Inc., Engel & Volkers Americas, Inc. and Engel & Volkers GmbH, The Keyes Company, Illustrated Properties, LLC, The Real Brokerage Inc., Real Broker, LLC, Vanguard Properties, Inc., Fathom Realty, LLC, HomeSmart International, LLC, Realty ONE Group Inc., Kempa and Associates d/b/a Realty ONE Group Excel, Umro Realty Corp d/b/a The Agency:

The following Class Periods are applicable to legal claims against Defendants Anywhere Real Estate Inc., Compass, Inc. eXp World Holdings, Inc., HomeServices of America, Inc., BHH Affiliates, LLC, HSF Affiliates LLC, Hanna Holdings, Inc., United Real Estate Holdings, LLC d/b/a United Real Estate Group, Douglas Elliman Inc., and The National Association of Realtors^®:

No. Membership in the Settlement Class is based on home purchases. Merely having sold a home is not a basis for membership. There are different settlements that cover people who sold homes, even if they have both bought and sold a home.

The home seller settlements were reached in other lawsuits, including Burnett et al. v. The Nat’l Ass’n of Realtors, No. 19-cv-00332 (W.D. Mo.) (“Burnett”), Gibson et al. v. The Nat’l Ass’n of Realtors® et al., No. 4:23-cv-00788-SRB (W.D. Mo.) (“Gibson”); Keel et al. v. House of Seven Gables Real Estate, Inc. et al., No. 4:25-00055 (W.D. Mo.)(“Keel”); and 1925 Hooper LLC et al. v. The Nat’l Ass’n of Realtors et al., No. 1:23-cv-5392-MHC (N.D. Ga.)(“Hooper”). The Settlement here does not overlap with any of the existing home seller settlements. Rather, this Settlement resolves the legal claims of homebuyers who were not included in the home seller settlements.

If you are a class member in a settlement reached in one or more of the home seller lawsuits, you are excluded from the Settlement here and may not receive a payment.

If the Settlement is approved, the Defendants will pay a combined total of $120,334,500 to be distributed to Settlement Class Members on a pro rata basis after deductions for fees and costs associated with the Settlement. The net amount after deductions will be paid out in more than one payment issued over several years. The Defendants’ contributions are as follows:

The specific amount of each Settlement Class Member’s pro rata payment will be determined by the Plan of Allocation, if it is approved, or by another allocation plan that is approved by the Court. At this time, it is not known exactly how much each Settlement Class Member will receive or when payments will be made. The amount of each payment will depend on the total number of valid claim forms and information unique to each class member such as the number of properties purchased and the amount of commissions paid in those transactions.

In addition to the monetary benefits, the Defendants have agreed to maintain or extend certain changes to business practices as set forth in the Settlement Agreements. The Settlement Agreements are available here.

To qualify for a payment from the Settlement, you must be a Settlement Class Member and you must submit a Claim Form by the October 27, 2026. You may submit your claim online here by October 27, 2026, or by mail to the Settlement Administrator at the address on the Claim Form, but the easiest way to submit a claim is online through the Settlement Website. Claim Forms are also available here, or by calling 1-877-417-7662 or by writing to:

Homebuyer Antitrust Litigation
Settlement Administrator
P.O. Box 4258
Portland, OR 97208-4258

Please note per the United States Postal Service, mail may not be postmarked the day it is deposited in a mailbox or at a local post office. Postmarks occur when mail reaches a processing facility. To meet a postmark deadline, mail at least a week prior to a postmark deadline, get a manual postmark in-person at any post office, or send via Certified Mail.

The Global Settlement Fund will be funded in installments from the Defendants. As a result, there will be multiple payments issued to the Class Members over a period of several years after the Settlement is approved by the Court and becomes final.

It may take time for the Settlement to be approved and become final. Please be patient and check this website for updates.

If you change your mailing address or email address after you submit a claim form, it is your responsibility to inform the Settlement Administrator of your updated information. You may notify the Settlement Administrator of any changes by writing to:

Homebuyer Antitrust Litigation
Settlement Administrator
P.O. Box 4258
Portland, OR 97208-4258

If you choose to remain in the Settlement Class and the Settlement is approved and becomes final, you will be eligible to receive compensation and you will also be bound by the terms of the Settlement Agreements. This means that you will not be able to sue, continue to sue, or be part of any other lawsuit against the Released Parties with respect to the Released Claims, including the claims in this lawsuit. The specific rights you are giving up are called “Released Claims.”

The Released Claims include any and all state and federal claims regardless of the cause of action arising from or related to conduct that was or could have been alleged in the Litigation based on any or all of the same factual predicates as those claims, including but not limited to claims based on antitrust laws, consumer protection or other state laws, and/or anticompetitive conduct relating to the commissions negotiated, offered, obtained, or paid to brokerages, or the impact of the foregoing on the purchase price, in connection with the purchase or sale of residential real estate.

The Released Parties generally include the Defendants and all of their respective past, present, and future direct and indirect parents (including holding companies), subsidiaries, related entities and affiliates, associates (all as defined in SEC Rule 12b-2 promulgated pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934), predecessors, and successors, and all of their respective franchisees, sub-franchisors, licensees, officers, directors, managing directors, shareholders, members, managers, employees, agents, contractors, independent contractors, attorneys, legal or other representatives, accountants, auditors, experts, trustees, trusts, heirs, beneficiaries, estates, executors, administrators, insurers, and assigns, and all of their franchisees’ and sub-franchisors’ and licensees’ officers, directors, shareholders, members, managers, managing directors, employees, agents, and independent contractors.

Additionally, with respect to the NAR, the Settlement releases all Released Claims that the Settlement Class members have against the NAR and its affiliates as well as the following entities provided they meet certain conditions, including that they agree to abide by certain practice changes: (i) NAR Members, Associate Members, and Member Boards that do not operate an unincorporated Multiple Listing Service (“MLS”); (ii) Realtor MLSs and non-Realtor MLSs, as described in the Opt-In Agreement; and (iii) real estate brokerages that have a REALTOR^® as a Principal with membership in the NAR on the date of Class Notice and a Principal who was a Participant in any MLS during the Class Period, provided that they had not settled or been named as a defendant in any lawsuit or action alleging claims that share the same factual predicate as those asserted in the Litigation as of April 10, 2026.

For questions regarding the Releases or what they mean, you can contact one of the lawyers listed in FAQ 16 for free, or you can talk to your own lawyer.

If you do not want a payment and do not want to be legally bound by the terms of the Settlement, you must exclude yourself from the Settlement. If you do so, you will not be eligible to receive any payments as a result of this Settlement. However, you will keep the right to sue or continue to sue the Defendants on your own and at your own expense if you wish to pursue any of the legal claims being released as part of this Settlement.

To exclude yourself from the Settlement, you must mail a written request for exclusion (“Request for Exclusion”), which includes the following:

1. Your name, address, telephone number;
2. Your personal physical signature; and
3. A statement that you want to be excluded from the Settlement Class, such as “I hereby request to be excluded from the Settlement Class in Tuccori et al. v. At World Properties, LLC et al.”

The Request for Exclusion must be mailed to the Settlement Administrator at the following address, and be postmarked by September 17, 2026.

Homebuyer Antitrust Litigation
Settlement Administrator
P.O. Box 4258
Portland, OR 97208-4258

Please note per the United States Postal Service, mail may not be postmarked the day it is deposited in a mailbox or at a local post office. Postmarks occur when mail reaches a processing facility. To meet a postmark deadline, mail at least a week prior to a postmark deadline, get a manual postmark in-person at any post office, or send via Certified Mail.

“Mass” or “class” requests for exclusion filed by third parties on behalf of a “mass” or “class” of Settlement Class Members or multiple Settlement Class Members where the opt-out has not been signed by each and every individual Settlement Class Member will not be allowed.

No. If you exclude yourself, you will not be entitled to receive a payment, but you will not be bound by the Settlement or any judgment in this lawsuit against the Released Parties. You can only get a payment if you stay in the Settlement and submit a timely and valid Claim Form.

No. Unless you exclude yourself, you give up the right to sue the Released Parties for the legal claims the Settlement resolves. You must exclude yourself from this Settlement to start or continue with your own lawsuit or be part of any other lawsuit against the Released Parties. If you have a pending lawsuit against any of the Defendants, speak to your lawyer in that lawsuit immediately.

By staying in the lawsuit, you are not releasing your legal claims in this lawsuit against any entities other than the Defendants and their related Released Parties as set forth in the Settlement Agreements.

If you are a member of the Settlement Class, and have not excluded yourself from the Settlement, you may object to the Settlement or any part of the Settlement if you think there are legal reasons why the Court should reject it. If you object, the Court will consider your views. To object, you must file your objection with the Court and serve a copy to the Settlement Administrator and the lawyers for both the Settlement Class and the Defendants. Your objection must clearly state the following information:

1. Your full name, current mailing address, telephone number, and email address (if any);
2. The case name and case number of the lawsuit: Tuccori et al. v. At World Properties, LLC et al., Case No. 1:24-cv-00150;
3. The reasons why you object to the Settlement along with any supporting legal authority;
4. State whether the objection applies to the entire Settlement and Settlement Class or is limited to specific Settling Defendant(s), to you as the objector, to a specific subset of the Settlement Class;
5. A list of any objections you or your lawyer have filed in any state or federal court class action in the last five (5) years, identified by the name of the case, the case number, the court in which the objection was filed, and the outcome of the objection;
6. A statement confirming whether you intend to personally appear and/or testify at the final fairness hearing and the reasons for seeking to appear; and
7. Your signature as the objector.

To object, you must file your timely written objection with the Court as provided below by September 17, 2026, and send it by U.S. mail to the Settlement Administrator, Class Counsel, and Settling Defendants’ Counsel, postmarked by or shipped by private courier (such as Federal Express) by September 17, 2026.

Please note per the United States Postal Service, mail may not be postmarked the day it is deposited in a mailbox or at a local post office. Postmarks occur when mail reaches a processing facility. To meet a postmark deadline, mail at least a week prior to a postmark deadline, get a manual postmark in-person at any post office, or send via Certified Mail.

Objecting is simply telling the Court that you do not like something about the Settlement. You can object only if you stay in the Settlement Class. Opting out is telling the Court that you do not want to be part of the Settlement Class. If you opt out, you cannot object because you are no longer part of the Settlement.

If you are a Settlement Class Member and do nothing in response to the notice, you will remain a member of the Settlement Class and release your legal claims against the Defendants. However, you will not be eligible to receive a payment. You must submit a claim to receive a payment from this Settlement. See FAQ 8.

In a class action, one or more people called “class representatives” sue on behalf of other people who have the same or similar legal claims. This lawsuit was filed by Plaintiffs James Tuccori, Courtney Foregger, Kevin Cwynar, Dawid Zawislak, Michael D’Acquisto, and Alejandro Lopez a/k/a Aleandro Lopez, all of whom have purchased homes and have sought to represent other homebuyers with similar legal claims against the Defendants. The Court has appointed Plaintiffs for settlement purposes to be the Class Representatives for all Settlement Class Members in the lawsuit.

The Court has also appointed Myles McGuire, Evan Meyers, and Paul T. Geske of McGuire Law, P.C. and Jonathan M. Jagher and Matthew W. Ruan of Justice Jagher London & Millen LLC as Class Counsel for the Settlement Class. You do not need to hire your own lawyer because Class Counsel is working on your behalf. You may hire your own lawyer at your own cost if you want someone other than Class Counsel to represent you in this lawsuit.

To date, Class Counsel have not received any payment for their services in litigating the lawsuit on behalf of the Class Representatives and the Settlement Class, nor have Class Counsel been reimbursed for their costs and expenses directly relating to their representation of the Settlement Class. Prior to final approval of the Settlement, Class Counsel will ask the Court for an award of attorneys’ fees of up to one-third of the Global Settlement Fund, plus an award of litigation expenses for investigating the facts, litigating the lawsuit, and negotiating the Settlement.

Any payment to Class Counsel or the Class Representatives will be subject to Court approval, and the Court may award less than the requested amount. The attorneys’ fees, costs, expenses, and service awards that the Court orders, plus the costs to administer the Settlement, will be paid from the Global Settlement Fund.

When Class Counsel’s motion for attorneys’ fees, costs, expenses, and service awards is filed, it will be available here. The motion will be posted on the Settlement Website before the deadline for objecting to the Settlement.

The Court will hold a final fairness hearing on November 2, 2026 at 9:30 a.m. before the Honorable Lindsay C. Jenkins at the Everett McKinley Dirksen U.S. Courthouse, 219 South Dearborn Street, Chicago, IL 60604 or via telephone or video conference. At this hearing, the Court will consider whether the Settlement is fair, reasonable, and adequate and decide whether to approve the Settlement, Class Counsel’s attorneys’ fees, expenses, and service awards.

If there are objections that were filed by the deadline, the Court will consider them. If you file a timely objection, and you (or your lawyer) filed a Notice of Intent to Appear, the Court may hear objections at the hearing.

Note: The date and time of the final fairness hearing are subject to change without further notice to the Settlement Class. The Court may also decide to hold the hearing via video conference or by telephone. You should check this website to confirm the date and time of the final fairness hearing have not changed.

Class Counsel will appear at the hearing and answer any questions the Court may have. If you would like to attend, you may do so at your own expense, but you do not have to do so. If you submit an objection, as long as you file your written objection by the deadline, the Court will consider it.

If you wish to attend the final fairness hearing and address the Court, you must file a Notice of Intent to Appear with the Court and serve it on Class Counsel and Defendants’ Counsel. Your Notice of Intent to Appear must include your name, address, telephone number, email address, the case name and case number of the lawsuit, a statement clearly indicating your intention to appear at the final fairness hearing and the reasons for seeking to appear; copies of any papers or information to be presented to the Court (if any); and your signature.

Your Notice of Intention to Appear must be filed with the Court by September 17, 2026 and served on Class Counsel and Defendants’ Counsel, by U.S. mail or private courier (such as Federal Express), by September 17, 2026 at the addresses in the table in FAQ 16.

This website and the Notice summarize the Settlement. Complete details about the Settlement are provided in the Settlement Agreements. The Settlement Agreement and other related documents are available here. You may get additional information by calling toll-free 1-877-417-7662 or by writing to:

Homebuyer Antitrust Litigation
Settlement Administrator
P.O. Box 4258
Portland, OR 97208-4258

PLEASE DO NOT CALL OR WRITE THE COURT, THE COURT CLERK’S OFFICE, THE DEFENDANTS, OR THE DEFENDANTS’ COUNSEL. THEY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO ASSIST YOU.