NAR homebuyer settlement: who qualifies, how much, how to claim

What the NAR homebuyer settlement is about

Homebuyers sued the National Association of REALTORS (NAR) and a long list of residential brokerages in Tuccori et al. v. At World Properties, LLC et al., a federal case in the Northern District of Illinois (No. 1:24-cv-00150, Judge Lindsay C. Jenkins). The buyers say the defendants raised, fixed and held up broker commissions, which they argue pushed home prices higher and weakened the quality of buyer-broker service.

The defendants deny breaking any law, and no court or jury has decided who is right. Rather than keep fighting, they agreed to put a combined $120,334,500 into a settlement fund, paid in installments. NAR, the HomeServices group, Anywhere, Hanna, Compass, eXp and Douglas Elliman supply most of it, as the table shows.

If you are new to how these deals work, our guide to antitrust settlements for consumers explains why a price-fixing style case ends with a claim form instead of an automatic check.

Who qualifies: buyers whose home was listed on an MLS

You are in the class if you bought a home that was listed on a multiple listing service anywhere in the U.S. and a commission was paid to any brokerage on the deal. That includes homes listed on systems NAR doesn't run, such as the Real Estate Board of New York and Northwest MLS.

The purchase has to fall inside a date range that depends on your state and on which defendant is involved, and every range ends June 25, 2026. For the smaller brokerages the clock starts Dec. 8, 2017, Dec. 8, 2018 or Dec. 8, 2019. For NAR and the national brokerages it starts between Jan. 25, 2006 and Jan. 25, 2019, as the table shows.

Sellers are not in this class. Having sold a home doesn't make you a member; buying does. And if you already released claims against a defendant through one of the earlier seller settlements (Burnett, Gibson, Keel or Hooper), you are excluded as to that defendant.

How much you could get from the NAR settlement

Nobody can give you a check amount yet, and the administrator hasn't published a per-person estimate. The deal pays pro rata: once the court approves attorneys' fees, expenses, service awards and administration costs, whatever is left is split among the valid claims.

Your slice depends on how many homes you bought, what each one cost, and how much commission was paid on the deal. Bigger commissions mean bigger shares, and the more people who file, the thinner each slice gets. Class counsel plans to ask for fees of up to one-third of the fund, and the judge can award less.

Don't expect one lump sum either. The defendants fund the pot in installments, so payments come in more than one round over several years after the settlement is approved and final. Our explainer on how long settlement checks take covers the usual delays, and why checks end up small shows the math behind pro rata splits.

How to file a NAR settlement homebuyer claim

You can claim online or by mail, and the notice calls online the easiest route. Filing directly with the administrator, Epiq, costs nothing. Because the form wants paperwork, start with what counts as proof of purchase, then follow these steps.

1. Dig out your closing paperwork: the closing statement, settlement statement, HUD statement or settlement letter from your purchase. Your title company, lender or agent can usually send a copy.
2. Open HomebuyerSettlement.com by typing the address yourself, then choose the claim option.
3. Enter the home's address, the purchase date, the price, the total broker commissions and the commission paid to your buyer's broker. Add the MLS if you know it.
4. Say whether you sold a home between April 29, 2014 and October 14, 2025, and give the sale dates if you did.
5. Attach your proof of purchase. If you bought more than one eligible home, add a separate home-purchase page for each.
6. Choose a check or a digital payment and submit by Oct. 27, 2026. For mail, the postmark must be on or before that date, and the notice recommends mailing at least a week early.
7. Save your confirmation. If your address or email changes later, tell the administrator, because the notice puts that on you.

Key dates for the NAR homebuyer settlement

The claim deadline arrives before the judge's final approval hearing, so don't wait for the ruling to file. The opt-out and objection dates have already passed.

Is the NAR homebuyer settlement legit?

Yes. It is a court-supervised class settlement. On June 29, 2026, the judge approved the notice and claim form, and Epiq is the court-appointed administrator. The official site is HomebuyerSettlement.com, and the toll-free number on the notice is 1-877-417-7662.

A real claim never costs money, and the administrator won't ask for a bank login. Be wary of sites that charge a "processing fee," look almost like the official address, or promise a payout amount. Our guide to spotting settlement scams shows what a genuine notice looks like.

One common mix-up: HomebuyerLitigation.com is also a real site, but it belongs to a different buyer case, Batton, with Keller Williams and RE/MAX. It is a separate case with its own fund, and its claim deadline passed on Aug. 25, 2026.

What happens after you file

The administrator reviews each claim and can ask for more information, since you certify the details on the form. The final approval hearing is set for Nov. 2, 2026. If the judge approves the settlement and no appeal holds it up, payments start and arrive in installments over several years.

If you want help finding this and other settlements you may qualify for, Owed can open the official claim form and remind you before each deadline, but you submit the claim yourself. Owed Pro is $2 for the first week, then $49 per year — one flat membership. Owed never takes a percentage of any payout. Filing directly with the administrator is free. Try the quick eligibility quiz or browse the settlements directory.

Settlement money can be taxable, so read whether you pay taxes on settlement money. This guide is general information, not legal advice; the court and the administrator decide who qualifies and how much each person gets.

Glossary

Pro rata

A split of a fixed pot in proportion to each person's claim. Here, bigger purchases and commissions earn a bigger slice, and more claims shrink every slice.

MLS (multiple listing service)

The database where agents list homes for sale. The class covers homes listed on any MLS, not just NAR-run ones.

Closing statement

The settlement or HUD statement from closing that shows the price and what each side paid. It is the proof the claim form asks for.

Final approval hearing

The court date when the judge decides whether the settlement is fair, reasonable and adequate. Here it is Nov. 2, 2026.

Opt out

Asking to leave the class so you can sue on your own. The opt-out date here was Sept. 17, 2026, and it has passed.

Class period

The range of purchase dates that count. In this case it varies by state and by defendant.

FAQ