Editor’s note: The COURT REPORT is RISMedia’s weekly look at current and upcoming lawsuits, investigations and other legal developments around real estate.
Plaintiffs in consolidated commission case push for settlement approval
Gibson v. NAR, the largest copycat case of the Burnett commission lawsuit filed in the same Missouri District Court overseen by Judge Stephen Bough, is facing a push for final settlement approval by plaintiffs.
In a motion filed Wednesday, January 28, 2026, the case was consolidated with a settlement petition for another lawsuit filed in September 2025: Keel et al v. Charles Rutenberg Realty, Inc., or “Keel II” to differentiate it from the previous lawsuit Keel v Washington Fine Properties.
Defendants facing settlement from the Gibson case include Hanna Holdings, Inc., William Raveis Real Estate, Inc., Exit Realty Corp. International, Exit Realty Corp. USA, Windermere Real Estate Services Company, Inc. and William L. Lyon & Associates, Inc.
Defendants in the Keel II case are Charles Rutenberg Realty, Inc., Home Group Real Estate, LLC, Tierra Antigua Realty, LLC and West USA Realty, Inc. The settlement includes monetary relief—the proposed settlement is $39.7 million in Gibson and $3,087,500 in Keel II, meaning about $42.7 million total—as well as reform to brokerage practices from the defendants.
The breakdown of financial relief extended under the proposed settlement includes, per this filing:
Gibson:
- Hanna Holdings: $32 million
- William Raveis: $4.1 million
- EXIT: $1.5 million
- Windermere: $1.8 million
- Lyon: $300,000
Keel:
- My Home: $987,500
- West USA: $950,000
- Charles Rutenberg: $750,000
- Tierra Antigua: $400,000
The brief claims that more than 2.65 million claims from the class of affected home sellers (defined as anyone who sold a home that was listed on an MLS and where a commission was paid to the brokerage for the sale) were filed by the end of the December 2025 deadline, up from the 2.5 million reported in June 2025.
“The Settlements have been extremely well-received by the Class,” the filing reads in arguing for the settlements’ approval, claiming that the only three objections filed in the Gibson case were made by “serial objectors,” and the objections “fail to identify any reason why the settlements are not fair, reasonable and adequate.”
New consumer class-action lawsuit filed against Rocket Companies
On Jan. 26, plaintiffs Barbara Walter, Elizabeth Johnson and Randel Clark filed a class-action lawsuit against Rocket Companies in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, alleging violations of the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA).
The complaint alleges defendants steered homebuyers toward Rocket Mortgage financing despite disadvantageous terms, requiring affiliated agents to pay 35% referral fees and prioritizing profits over fiduciary duties to clients.
Rocket Companies categorically denies the allegations, calling them a “complete retread” of a previously dismissed Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) case and stating they will vigorously dispute the claims.
Alexander brothers trial
The federal sex trafficking trial of brothers Oren, Tal and Alon Alexander entered its second week on Monday, in Manhattan federal court before U.S. District Judge Valerie Caproni.
Prosecutors allege the brothers used their wealth and luxury lifestyle to drug and rape numerous women and girls, with at least eight accusers expected to testify, including a woman who was 16 at the time of her alleged assault.
This week, one of the women’s names was revealed in the latest Epstein files, according to the New York Times. Defense lawyers argued Monday that the inclusion of that name was grounds for a mistrial, but the judge denied that request.
The brothers were charged in a 12-count indictment, including conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion and inducement to travel to engage in unlawful sexual activity.
The trial is reported to last at least a month.
Class-action suit targets Liberty Financial
On Jan. 16, David Torres filed a class-action suit in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, alleging that Liberty Financial violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) by placing unsolicited prerecorded loan marketing calls to his cellphone.
The complaint alleges three TCPA violations involving prerecorded calls made without prior express consent to at least 50 consumers. Torres asserts the violations were willful, seeking statutory damages of $500 to $1,500 per call.
The proposed class includes anyone in the U.S. who received similar unauthorized prerecorded calls from the defendant within four years of filing.
LGBTQ+ Alliance escalates case against former CEO
On Jan. 22, the LGBT+ Real Estate Alliance filed an amended complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, escalating its case against its former CEO Ryan Weyandt with eight counts, seeking damages exceeding $300,000.
The amended complaint adds defamation and tortious interference claims to original trade secret misappropriation charges, alleging Weyandt unlawfully seized control of the organization’s 10,000-member customer list and digital infrastructure in June 2025, six months after he resigned.
The Alliance claims Weyandt made false statements alleging organizational collapse and governance failures that damaged its reputation and caused members to cancel subscriptions. The case follows a July 2025 court order requiring Weyandt to return control of financial accounts and digital assets.
