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Batton v. National Association of REALTORS® et al. — RE/MAX Settlement
Filed
February 2021
Jurisdiction
Northern District of Illinois
Plaintiff Firm
Lowey Dannenberg; Korein Tillery
Next Milestone
Opt-out deadline: June 23, 2026 | Fairness hearing: July 28, 2026 | Claim filing deadline: Aug 25, 2026
Antitrust violations involving buyer-agent commissions — RE/MAX settles Batton 1 homebuyer case for $8.5M
RE/MAX becomes second major brokerage to settle Batton 1 homebuyer case; combined Batton 1 fund (KW + RE/MAX) reaches $28.5M
Settlement Amount
$8.5 million
Settlement Date
March 25, 2026
Claim Deadline
August 25, 2026
Estimated Payout
TBD after final court approval
Eligibility Criteria
Transaction Period
Varies by state — CA: Jan 25, 2017 – Apr 14, 2026; other states vary. Buyers who purchased MLS-listed residential real estate where a broker/agent received a commission qualify — even without using a KW or RE/MAX agent.
Geographic Scope
Nationwide
Covered Brokerages
RE/MAX, RE/MAX Holdings, RE/MAX franchisees
Industry Practice Changes
RE/MAX required to modify commission practices and buyer-broker agreements
Batton 1 Filed
February 2021Batton homebuyer antitrust case filed in Northern District of Illinois against NAR, Keller Williams, RE/MAX, and other major brokerages
Keller Williams Settles ($20M)
February 3, 2026Keller Williams becomes the first Batton 1 defendant to settle, agreeing to pay $20 million
RE/MAX Settles ($8.5M)
March 25, 2026RE/MAX Holdings, Inc. agrees to pay $8.5 million to settle Batton 1 homebuyer antitrust claims — combined Batton 1 fund reaches $28.5M
Claim Process Confirmed
May 11, 2026RealtyTimes confirms claim filing details: opt-out deadline June 23, fairness hearing July 28, claim deadline August 25. Claims filed at HomeBuyerLitigation.com. Buyers must provide home address, purchase date, purchase price, total commission paid, and amount paid to buyer-side broker.
Opt-Out Deadline
June 23, 2026Deadline for class members to opt out of the combined $28.5M KW/RE/MAX Batton 1 settlement
Fairness Hearing
July 28, 2026Court fairness hearing for final approval of the combined $28.5M KW/RE/MAX Batton 1 settlement
Claim Filing Deadline
August 25, 2026Deadline for eligible buyers to file claims at HomeBuyerLitigation.com. Claimants must file a separate form for each home purchased and provide the home address, purchase date, purchase price, total commission paid, and the amount paid to the buyer-side broker.
Category
NAR Commission AntitrustSettlement
$289.7 million total ($250M NAR + $39.7M brokerages)
MLS commission display rules. Settlement includes multiple tranches: NAR $250M (approved June 2025) and 5 additional brokerages $39.7M (approved Feb 2026): Howard Hanna $32M, William Raveis $4.1M, Windermere/Lyon $2.1M, EXIT Realty $1.5M
Category
NAR Commission AntitrustSettlement
$250 million
Anticompetitive commission practices
Category
NAR Commission AntitrustSettlement
$20 million (Keller Williams only)
Antitrust violations involving buyer-agent commissions and steering
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