The 6% commission, a standard in home purchase transactions, is no more.

In a sweeping move expected to reduce the cost of buying and selling a home, the National Association of Realtors announced Friday a settlement with groups of homesellers of landmark antitrust lawsuits by agreeing to pay $418 million in damages and eliminating rules on commissions.

In November, a federal jury in Missouri found the NAR and two brokerages liable for $1.8 billion in damages for conspiring to keep agent commissions artificially high. The NAR had pledged to appeal the case, but other brokerages settled — and, eventually, so did the NAR on Friday.

NAR had required homesellers to pay a set 6% commission that is typically split evenly between the seller’s agent and the buyer’s agent. Although the NAR said the commission was negotiable and helped make housing more affordable for buyers, critics have long argued that the fees were effectively set and made housing more expensive.

  • helenslunch@feddit.nl
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    6 months ago

    Thanks for editing your comment

    The NAR had required homesellers to include the compensation for agents when placing a listing on a multiple listing service.

    I’ve already addressed this. This is another lie I’ve heard several times, and no one who has claimed this has ever provided documentation of such policies. I have looked thoroughly myself.

    homesellers felt they would lose buyers if they didn’t offer them.

    That’s because they would. Whose fault is that?