Editor’s note: The COURT REPORT is RISMedia’s weekly look at current and upcoming lawsuits, investigations and other legal developments around real estate.
Compass sues CRMLS over “mandatory submission” policies
Shortly after the MLS filed its own suit against the brokerage, Compass has now filed a lawsuit against California-based CRMLS, asking a judge to prevent the MLS from enforcing its “mandatory submission” policies that the brokerage argues violates antitrust policies.
The dispute centers on what Compass has characterized as unlawful restrictions on public marketing—rules that many, if not most MLSs have, requiring members to submit their listings before (or shortly after) they begin publicly marketing them elsewhere.
Compass also offered details of agents and sellers it claimed were harmed by CRMLS’s restrictions in the suit, counter to the stories about how Compass’s pursuit of private listings or exclusive inventory has allegedly harmed consumers in its region that CRMLS promised to share.
The brokerage previously foreshadowed this lawsuit right after CRMLS defied Compass’s ultimatum, which the brokerage sent to several other MLSs.
Compass also took aim at basic MLS structure and practices in the suit, reiterating arguments it has made before—that MLSs should not govern interactions or contracts between brokerages.
eXp settles sexual assault case ahead of trial
eXp Realty partially settled the sexual assault lawsuit it was facing from agent Anya Roberts just one day before a trial in the case was set to begin.
Two former top eXp recruiters—Michael Bjorkman and David Golden—named in the case must still face trial, as the settlement only covers the company. Roberts had sought to prove that the company should be held liable based on their knowledge and oversight of Bjorkman and Golden.
Founder Glenn Sanford was also named in the suit, and with the settlement, eXp stated that Roberts is separately dismissing her claims against the former CEO with prejudice.
With the settlement, Sanford and eXp seem to have been cleared of liability in the case—though a largely similar lawsuit filed by four other women is still proceeding, RISMedia confirmed with a lawyer for Roberts, and Bjorkman and Golden are still facing a jury.
That litigation, known as Acevedo, was filed in 2022 by four women who also allege that Bjorkman and Golden used eXp events to “prey upon” them as part of a recruiting scheme, according to the original complaint.
The Acevedo complaint names eXp, and alleges that the company “knew of such actions yet turned a blind eye, propelled by the continued financial benefits they received.”
Compass faces shareholder lawsuit over Anywhere merger approval
An Anywhere stockholder has filed a lawsuit against Compass over alleged back-channel efforts to get the Compass-Anywhere merger approved that created risk for the company and misled investors.
The suit—which names numerous Compass and Anywhere executives, including Compass International Holdings CEO Robert Reffkin and former Anywhere CEO Ryan Schneider—claims that Compass “misrepresented material facts” based on its reported use of a high-profile lobbyist to circumvent antitrust scrutiny of the deal.
The lawsuit comes after the merger’s approval has been under media scrutiny, following reports that Compass had hired Mike Davis, a controversial figure with close ties to the Trump administration, to get the deal approved.
There are also claims in the suit that a significant drop in Compass’s valuation after “partial disclosure” of these risks caused “substantial losses” for the plaintiff and other Anywhere stockholders. They are seeking a jury trial and unspecified damages.
Defunct listing platform REX faces consumer lawsuit
Two recent home sellers are suing defunct discount listing platform REX and a Colorado brokerage for what they describe as a boycott and blacklist of their home listing.
The allegations focus on a 2019 home sale, in which the plaintiffs—a military family—listed their property on REX, which offered discount off-MLS marketing with no offers of buyer compensation. According to the plaintiffs, local broker Kelly Young was caught on a recorded phone call informing a REX representative that she would not allow buyers to view their property, and would discourage agents from working with Plaintiffs’ agent.
REX notably sued the National Association of Realtors® (NAR) and Zillow with claims of boycott and blacklisting. REX’s claims against NAR were dismissed in 2025, and separate false advertising and consumer deception claims against Zillow were rejected by a jury in 2023.
The Colorado lawsuit against REX and Young is seeking unspecified compensatory damages, arguing that REX should have informed plaintiffs their listing was being boycotted, and that Young engaged in an illegal group boycott.
Young and REX could not immediately be reached for comment.
RentCafe sued over alleged hidden fees
The city of Baltimore, Maryland, has filed a lawsuit against renting platform RentCafe and its joint owner Yardi Systems over alleged hidden fees that are hammering renters.
The suit alleges that renters are steered toward using payment methods with non-disclosed additional charges in order to pay their rent, a practice that violates Baltimore’s Consumer Protection Ordinance. The suit alleges that the information about additional charges is hidden through multiple web pages, fine print and payment screens, all of which do not include clear disclosure.
“These illegal junk fees effectively raise the rent for thousands of Baltimore residents,” Mayor Brandon Scott said in a statement to the Baltimore Sun. “This is about holding these businesses accountable for their deceptive practices and protecting Baltimoreans’ hard-earned money.”
