Real Estate Conspiracy Inflated Broker Commissions, Suit Says (1)

The National Association of Realtors and the four largest real estate broker franchisors conspired to inflate broker commissions, a class complaint filed March 6 alleges.

The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, names NAR, Realogy Holdings Corp., HomeServices of America Inc., RE/MAX Holdings Inc., and Keller Williams Realty Inc. as defendants.

It seeks class status on behalf of home sellers who listed their homes on one of twenty Multiple Listing Services in the last four years.

The antitrust claims center on NAR’s adoption and implementation of a rule that requires all brokers ...