Eighth Circuit upholds NAR commission lawsuit settlement

Nearly exactly two years after the National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) home seller commission lawsuit settlement agreement business practice changes went into effect, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the federal court’s approval of the settlement. On Thursday, the appeals court issued its judgment on the seven consolidated appeals related to the final approval of the nationwide settlement back in November of 2024. According to the judgment and accompanying opinion, the appeals court decided to uphold the settlement in full, rejecting the objectors’ arguments that the settlement was too broad, unfair to certain class members, improperly handled, or procedurally defective. According to the filing, the nationwide scope of the settlement was justified because the plaintiffs had developed evidence concerning a nationwide alleged conspiracy and because the district court found that a nationwide release was necessary to obtain the settlement. Additionally, the filing also noted that the appeals court rejected the argument that buyers were inadequately represented. It found that the settlement’s practice changes benefit the entire class and that payments will take into accoun...