eXp settles sex trafficking lawsuit on eve of trial — here’s what it means for the brokerage

With less than 24 hours to spare until the scheduled start of the Roberts sex trafficking and assault trial, the plaintiffs have reached a settlement with eXp Realty, AGNT and former AGNT and eXp Realty CEO Glenn Sanford. On Sunday, the parties filed a notice of settlement in U.S. District Court in California. The settlement comes after the court granted partial summary judgement to some of the claims in the lawsuit filed against both AGNT and Sanford in August. eXp Realty, however, was not released from claims through this previous ruling. All three defendants still had claims pending against them, that if not settled, would have been litigated at trial. The settlement removes the immediate risk of a public trial for eXp Realty, AGNT and Glenn Sanford — a proceeding that could have put allegations about agent conduct, corporate oversight and brokerage responsibility under a microscope. But the case is not over: claims against the former agents accused of sex trafficking and assault remain pending, and the undisclosed settlement leaves unanswered questions about what the litigation could mean for brokerage liability and risk management more broadly. How we got here Originally filed...