A lawsuit filed earlier month is alleging that a top agent for real estate startup Side illegally operated as a lawyer in order to secure listing contracts, further claiming that this “ongoing and systematic” practice represents a failure by Side in its legal, supervisory responsibilities. The lawsuit was filed by a debt collector named Green…

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Around 16 months after it was filed, Compass announced today that it has reached an agreement to resolve its antitrust lawsuit against Washington-based Northwest Multiple Listing Service (NWMLS), ending what had been a high-stakes and sharply contested dispute that cut to the heart of the larger private listing debate. In a statement, Compass CEO Robert…

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Editor’s note: The COURT REPORT is RISMedia’s weekly look at current and upcoming lawsuits, investigations and other legal developments around real estate. eXp denied judgment ahead of trial, though Sanford scores win Judge Andre Birotte of the federal central district of California ruled late last week that a jury will decide whether eXp is liable…

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Minutes before a high-stakes trial was about to begin, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that Zillow has agreed to “unwind” its $100 million partnership with Redfin in the rental listing market, after it accused Zillow of an unlawful buy-out to decrease competition for rental listings. Redfin will be required to re-start its rental business…

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Editor’s note: The COURT REPORT is RISMedia’s weekly look at current and upcoming lawsuits, investigations and other legal developments around real estate. NAR and Mauricio Umansky spar over decade-old fraud allegation In a long-running lawsuit filed by listing startup PLS.com against the National Association of Realtors® (NAR), allegations of “unprofessional” conduct and “improper” demands are…

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Editor’s note: The COURT REPORT is RISMedia’s weekly look at current and upcoming lawsuits, investigations and other legal developments around real estate. Zillow class-action claims dismissed (for now) Judge James Robart of the federal Western District of Washington wrote in a 32-page order last week that a lawsuit filed by homebuyers against Zillow failed to…

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A judge dismissed a class-action lawsuit against Zillow and a real estate brokerage, saying that lawyers representing homebuyers who used Zillow’s mortgage services or were referred to agents through the portal’s lead-selling service did not meet the legal standard to move forward. Plaintiffs had alleged that Zillow’s practices were deceptive, violating RESPA, racketeering and consumer…

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The National Association of Realtors® (NAR) provided the second quarterly update on its new strategic plan, as the organization has promised more transparency and a holistic turnaround after facing years of backlash in the wake of the commission lawsuits. In a statement, NAR CEO Nykia Wright, who took the reins with a mandate to make…

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Above: the Everett McKinley Dirksen United States Courthouse in Chicago. CHICAGO—Zillow Chief Financial Officer Jeremy Hofmann testified Wednesday afternoon that a permanent loss of Midwest Real Estate Data (MRED)’s listing feed could trigger what he called a “downward spiral” for Zillow’s business, as testimony continued in the preliminary injunction hearing between Zillow, MRED and Compass.…

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Editor’s note: RISMedia will be on the ground in Chicago this week to provide live coverage of the hearing. Stay tuned to RISMedia.com for the latest updates.  A long-simmering dispute between Zillow and Chicago-based MLS Midwest Real Estate Data (MRED) exploded into a public battle last month, ending up (like many recent industry disputes have)…

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