Homebuyer Antitrust Settlement: How Home Buyers Claim From the $120.3 Million Fund

Who qualifies

• You are in the class if you purchased a home that was listed on an MLS anywhere in the United States where a commission was paid to any brokerage in connection with the transaction, during the class periods.
• Any MLS counts, regardless of affiliation with the National Association of REALTORS® — the settlement expressly includes purchases through the Real Estate Board of New York, the REBNY Residential Listing Service, the Northwest Multiple Listing Service, West-Penn Multi-List, Inc. and MLS Property Information Network.
• The class periods vary by state and by defendant, and all of them end June 25, 2026. For the group that includes Anywhere Real Estate, Compass, eXp World Holdings, HomeServices of America, Hanna Holdings, United Real Estate, Douglas Elliman and NAR, the start date runs from January 25, 2006 in Puerto Rico, January 25, 2011 in Rhode Island and Louisiana, January 25, 2015 in a large group of states including New York and Massachusetts, up to January 25, 2019 in Texas and everywhere not otherwise listed.
• For the second group of defendants — @properties, Baird & Warner, Real Estate One, Silvercreek, Equity Real Estate, NextHome, Realty Executives, Shorewest, Side, Engel & Völkers, The Keyes Company, The Real Brokerage, Vanguard, Fathom, HomeSmart, Realty ONE Group and The Agency — the start dates are December 8, 2017, December 8, 2018 or December 8, 2019 depending on the state.
• You are excluded as to a particular defendant if you already released the same claims against that defendant in a court-approved seller settlement in the Burnett, Gibson, Keel or Hooper cases.
• Selling a home is not a basis for membership here, even if you both bought and sold. Separate settlements cover sellers.

How buyers file, and how the money actually arrives

1. 1

   Confirm you are on the buyer side of this

   The commission cases split cleanly into two groups, and people routinely file in the wrong one. If you sold a home, your settlements are Burnett v. National Association of Realtors (W.D. Mo.), Gibson, Keel and 1925 Hooper LLC — and their claim deadlines have already passed. If you bought a home listed on an MLS where a commission was paid, this is your case and it is open until October 27, 2026.

2. 2

   Check the class period for your state and the brokerage involved

   There is no single national start date. Two defendant groups have different schedules, and within each the start date depends on the state where the home was listed. Every class period ends June 25, 2026. If your purchase falls inside the window for at least one defendant, you have a claim — the settlement is a single global fund, not per-defendant claim forms.

3. 3

   Find the closing documents

   The amount you receive depends on information unique to your transaction — the number of properties you purchased and the commissions paid in those transactions. The closing disclosure or HUD-1 settlement statement is the document that shows the commission, and it is worth locating before you start the form. If you bought more than one qualifying home in the class period, each purchase counts.

4. 4

   File by October 27, 2026

   Claims must be submitted online at the settlement website or mailed to the administrator, submitted or postmarked by October 27, 2026. The administrator warns that mail is postmarked when it reaches a processing facility, not when you drop it in a box — so mail at least a week early, get a manual postmark at a post office, or send certified. Filing online avoids the problem entirely.

5. 5

   Decide by September 17, 2026 whether to opt out or object

   September 17, 2026 is the deadline for both. Opting out means no payment but preserves your right to bring your own lawsuit against the released parties at your own expense. Objecting means you stay in and tell the court why you disagree with the terms. Doing nothing leaves you bound by the release with no payment.

6. 6

   Expect several payments over several years, not one check

   The defendants are funding the global settlement fund in installments, so the administrator will issue multiple payments to class members over a period of years after final approval. The November 2, 2026 final approval hearing is the first gate; appeals, if any, would push distribution further out. Tell the administrator if your mailing or email address changes at any point — a multi-year payment schedule makes stale contact details a real risk.

Frequently asked questions

Sources and official records

Every figure and date on this page was taken from the primary records below — court dockets, agency releases, and the settlement administrator's own notices. Payout averages we describe as averages are calculated from the official totals, not reported per-person estimates.

• Official settlement website — the $120,334,500 fund, the October 27, 2026 claim deadline, the September 17, 2026 opt-out and objection deadlines, and the November 2, 2026 final approval hearing
• Settlement FAQ 5, 6, 7 and 8 — the class definition, the per-state and per-defendant class periods ending June 25, 2026, the exclusion of Burnett/Gibson/Keel/Hooper seller-settlement members, and the full table of each defendant's contribution