Compass Agrees to Pay $57.5 Million to Settle Real Estate Commissions Lawsuits The class action lawsuits accused Compass of violating antitrust law and conspiring to overcharge U.S. home sellers.

By Sherin Shibu

Key Takeaways

  • Compass recently faced class action lawsuits from U.S. home sellers and proposed a $57.5 million settlement on Friday.
  • Compass is the fourth major brokerage to recently propose a settlement.

Real estate brokerage Compass agreed to pay $57.5 million in class-action lawsuit settlements from U.S. home sellers on Friday. The antitrust lawsuits allege that the company conspired with other brokerages and trade groups to overcharge home sellers by billions of dollars.

According to the Associated Press, the plaintiffs claim that real estate brokers have been forcing home sellers to pay "artificially inflated" commissions to agents.

Homeowners had to include a compensation offer for buyer's agents when listing properties for sale on real estate industry databases, as per The Guardian. Not including the offer could allegedly lead to buyer's agents steering their clients away from the listing.

Related: Barbara Corcoran Sounds Off on NAR Settlement: 'It's a Scary Time for Real Estate Agents'

Compass did not admit to any wrongdoing and stated that the settlement would not affect its operation, per The Real Deal.

"The reason we have chosen to settle is so we can minimize distractions and focus on serving you and your clients," said CEO Robert Reffkin in an emailed statement obtained by the outlet.

Compass joins Anywhere Real Estate, Keller Williams, and RE/MAX in proposing a settlement. The other three major brokerages agreed to pay a combined $209 million, according to reporting from The Real Deal.

Related: 'Everybody's Scared': Barbara Corcoran Says Now Is the 'Very Best Time to Buy a House' — Here's Why

As per the same outlet, Compass's proposed settlement includes practice changes like creating training materials and refining communication with agents about commissions, which are similar to the other companies' agreements.

Last week, the National Association of Realtors finalized a $418 million class action settlement that removed sales commission rules for brokers and agents.

Sherin Shibu

BIZ Experiences Staff

News Reporter

Sherin Shibu is a business news reporter at BIZ Experiences.com. She previously worked for PCMag, Business Insider, The Messenger, and ZDNET as a reporter and copyeditor. Her areas of coverage encompass tech, business, strategy, finance, and even space. She is a Columbia University graduate.

Want to be an BIZ Experiences Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Science & Technology

OpenAI's Latest Move Is a Game Changer — Here's How Smart Solopreneurs Are Turning It Into Profit

OpenAI's latest AI tool acts like a full-time assistant, helping solopreneurs save time, find leads and grow their business without hiring.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for BIZ Experiencess to pursue in 2025.

Money & Finance

These Are the Expected Retirement Ages By Generation, From Gen Z to Boomers — and the Average Savings Anticipated. How Do Yours Compare?

Many Americans say inflation prevents them from saving enough and fear they won't reach their financial goals.

Side Hustle

This 26-Year-Old's Side Hustle Turned Full-Time Business Led to $100,000 in 2.5 Months and Is On Track for $2.5 Million in 2025

Ross Friedman's successful venture started with a "Teen Night" in Boston, Massachusetts.

Business News

Apple Smashes Expectations With $94 Billion Quarter. Here's How the iPhone Maker Did It.

Apple just reported a significant revenue beat for its latest quarter, exceeding analyst expectations.

Business News

'We Don't Negotiate': Why Anthropic CEO Is Refusing to Match Meta's Massive 9-Figure Pay Offers

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei laid out his rationale on a recent podcast for why he will not play the competing offer game despite Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg's attempts to poach AI talent.