Real Estate Commission Conspiracy Case Gets OK in Missouri

The National Association of Realtors and four residential real estate giants must face an antitrust lawsuit alleging a nationwide scheme to rig broker commissions, a Western District of Missouri judge ruled Oct. 16.

The proposed class action, in addition to the NAR, targets Realogy Holdings Corp., HomeServices of America, Keller Williams Realty, and RE/MAX LLC. It accuses them of conspiring to bar brokers who represent home sellers from negotiating the commissions they pay brokers representing buyers.

The case was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri by a couple who claim the scheme inflated ...