The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals backed a lower court’s approval of the 2024 class-action settlement over real estate commission rules involving HomeServices of America and the National Association of Realtors.
The deal requires more than $1 billion in payments, including $250 million from Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary HomeServices, and compels NAR to revise long-standing commission-splitting rules that plaintiffs said kept fees artificially high.
Some plaintiffs had tried to block the settlement, arguing class members got too little; their lawyer told Reuters they may ask the U.S. Supreme Court to review the case.
The ruling follows a 2023 jury verdict that found defendants liable for $1.78 billion in damages, an amount that could have been tripled under U.S. antitrust law.
HomeServices said the decision adds certainty for the company, agents and customers, though Berkshire Hathaway Energy still faces a separate proposed commissions antitrust class action.