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Commitments and Contingencies | 6 Months Ended
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Jun. 30, 2023
Commitments and Contingencies |
Commitments and Contingencies | 11. Commitments and Contingencies A number of putative class action complaints are pending against the National Association of Realtors (“NAR”), Anywhere Real Estate, Inc. (formerly Realogy Holdings Corp.), HomeServices of America, Inc., RE/MAX, LLC and Keller Williams Realty, Inc. The first was filed on March 6, 2019, by plaintiff Christopher Moehrl in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois (the “Moehrl Action”). Similar actions have been filed in various federal courts. The complaints make substantially similar allegations and seek substantially similar relief. For convenience, all of these lawsuits are collectively referred to as the “Moehrl-related antitrust litigations.” In the Moehrl Action, the plaintiffs allege that a NAR rule that requires brokers to make a blanket, non-negotiable offer of buyer broker compensation when listing a property, results in increased costs to sellers and is in violation of federal antitrust law. They further allege that certain defendants use their agreements with franchisees to require adherence to the NAR rule in violation of federal antitrust law. Amended complaints added allegations regarding buyer steering and non-disclosure of buyer-broker compensation to the buyer. While similar to the Moehrl Action, the Moehrl-related antitrust litigations also allege: state antitrust violations; unjust enrichment; state consumer protection statute violations; harm to home buyers rather than sellers; violations of the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act; and claims against a multiple listing service (MLS) defendant rather than NAR. In one of the Moehrl-related antitrust litigations, filed by plaintiffs Scott and Rhonda Burnett and others in the Western District of Missouri, the court on April 22, 2022 granted plaintiffs’ motion for class certification and a trial date is currently scheduled for October 2023. On June 15, 2023, the court set February 26, 2024 as the backup trial date to be utilized if necessary due to the then pending appeal by HomeServices of America, Inc., BHH Affiliates, LLC, and HSF Affiliates, LLC (collectively “HSA”). The court also ordered the parties to mediate. On July 21, 2023, the parties attended mediation and the case did not settle. On July 31, 2023, the court set a status conference for August 4, 2023. On August 2, 2023, the Eight Circuit affirmed the court’s decision denying HSA’s motion to compel unnamed class members to arbitrate their claims. At the August 4, 2023 conference, the Company anticipates the court will revisit the two options for Burnett trial dates of October 2023 or February 2024. Among other relief, plaintiffs seek damages equal to all buyer commissions paid by sellers in four MLSs primarily in Missouri during the class period from April 29, 2015 to present. If any damages are awarded, such damages could be trebled and defendants would be jointly and severally liable. In the Moehrl Action, plaintiffs sought certification of two classes of home sellers: (1) a class seeking an award of alleged damages incurred by home sellers who paid a commission between March 6, 2015 and December 31, 2020, to a brokerage affiliated with a corporate defendant in connection with the sale of residential real estate listed on any of the 20 covered MLSs in various parts of the country; and (2) a class of current or future owners of residential real estate, who are presently listing or will in the future list a home for sale on any of the 20 covered MLSs, seeking to prohibit defendants from maintaining and enforcing the NAR rules at issue in the complaint. On March 29, 2023, the court in the Moehrl Action granted plaintiffs’ motion for class certification as to both classes. On April 12, 2023, RE/MAX, LLC petitioned the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit for permission to appeal the Court’s class certification decision. On May 24, 2023, the Seventh Circuit denied the petition. On August 2, 2023 during a status conference, the Moehrl court indicated that rulings on summary judgment motions, which have not been filed yet, would likely not occur prior to May of 2024, and a trial date has not been set. In one of the Moehrl-related antitrust litigations, filed by Jennifer Nosalek and others in the District of Massachusetts, on June 30, 2023, plaintiffs filed a motion for preliminarily approval of a settlement with MLS Property Information Network, Inc. (“MLS PIN”). If approved by the court, the settlement agreement requires MLS PIN to eliminate the requirement that a seller must offer compensation to a buyer-broker and also amend various rules pertaining to seller notices and negotiation of buyer-broker compensation. MLS PIN also agreed to pay $3,000,000 into a litigation fund to fund plaintiffs’ legal fees and expenses incurred in the litigation. No other defendants are part of the settlement. On April 9, 2021, a putative class action claim (the “Sunderland Action”) was filed in the Federal Court of Canada against the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board (“TRREB”), The Canadian Real Estate Association (“CREA”), RE/MAX Ontario-Atlantic Canada Inc. (“RE/MAX OA”), which was acquired by the Company in July 2021, Century 21 Canada Limited Partnership, Royal Lepage Real Estate Services Ltd., and many other real estate companies, collectively the “Defendants”, by the putative representative plaintiff, Mark Sunderland (the “Plaintiff”). The Plaintiff alleges that the Defendants conspired, agreed or arranged with each other and acted in furtherance of their conspiracy to fix, maintain, increase, control, raise, or stabilize the rate of real estate buyers’ brokerages’ and salespersons’ commissions in respect of the purchase and sale of properties listed on TRREB’s multiple listing service system (the “Toronto MLS”) in violation of the Canadian Competition Act. On February 24, 2022, Plaintiff filed a Fresh as Amended Statement of Claim. With respect RE/MAX OA, the amended claim alleges franchisor defendants aided and abetted their respective franchisee brokerages and their salespeople in violation of the section 45(1) of the Competition Act. Among other requested relief, the Plaintiff seeks damages against the defendants and injunctive relief. The Company intends to vigorously defend against all claims. The Company may become involved in additional litigation or other legal proceedings concerning the same or similar claims. The Company is unable to reasonably estimate the financial impact of the litigation and cannot predict whether resolution of these matters would have a material effect on its financial position or results of operations. The Moehrl Action, Moehrl-related antitrust litigations (collectively referred to as the “Moehrl-related antitrust litigations”), and Sunderland Action consist of: Christopher Moehrl et al. v. The National Association of Realtors, Realogy Holdings Corp., HomeServices of America, Inc., BHH Affiliates, LLC, HSF Affiliates, LLC, The Long & Foster Companies, Inc. RE/MAX, LLC., and Keller Williams Realty, Inc., filed on March 6, 2019 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Scott and Rhonda Burnett et al. v. The National Association of Realtors, Realogy Holdings Corp., HomeServices of America, Inc., BHH Affiliates, LLC, HSF Affiliates, LLC, RE/MAX, LLC, and Keller Williams Realty, Inc., filed on April 29, 2019 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri. Jennifer Nosalek et al. v. MLS Property Information Network, Inc., Anywhere Real Estate Inc. (f/k/a Realogy Holdings Corp.), Century 21 Real Estate LLC, Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC, Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC, ERA Franchise System LLC, HomeServices of America, Inc., BHH Affiliates, LLC, HSF Affiliates, LLC, RE/MAX, LLC, Polzler & Schneider Holdings Corp., Integra Enterprises Corp., RE/MAX of New England, Inc., RE/MAX Integrated Regions, LLC, and Keller Williams Realty, Inc., filed on December 17, 2020 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. Mya Batton et al. v. The National Association of Realtors, Realogy Holdings Corp., HomeServices of America, Inc., BHH Affiliates, LLC, HSF Affiliates, LLC, The Long & Foster Companies, Inc., RE/MAX, LLC, and Keller Williams Realty, Inc., filed on January 25, 2021 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Mark Sunderland v. Toronto Regional Real Estate Board (TRREB), The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA), RE/MAX Ontario-Atlantic Canada Inc. o/a RE/MAX INTEGRA, Century 21 Canada Limited Partnership, Residential Income Fund, L.P., Royal Lepage Real Estate Services Ltd., Homelife Realty Services Inc., Right At Home Realty Inc., Forest Hill Real Estate Inc., Harvey Kalles Real Estate Ltd., Max Wright Real Estate Corporation, Chestnut Park Real Estate Limited, Sutton Group Realty Services Ltd. and IPRO Realty Ltd., filed April 9, 2021 in the Federal Court of Canada.

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