Another
brokerage
has
decided
to
settle
the

commission
lawsuits.
Chicago-based

At
World
Properties,
which
own


@properties
and

Christie’s
International
Real
Estate,
has
agreed
to
settle
the
nationwide
class-action
antitrust
claims
brought
by
home
sellers.

According
to
the
firm,
the
settlement
agreement
covers
all
company-owned
brokerages
including
all
those
under
the
@properties,
Christie’s
International
Real
Estate,

Ansley
Real
Estate
and

Sereno
brands,
as
well
as
independently
owned
brokerages
that
are
part
of
the
@properties
and
Christie’s
International
Real
Estate
affiliate
networks
in
the
U.S.

Additionally,
all
agents
licensed
under
these
firms
are
also
covered
by
the
proposed
settlement.

“Settling
these
claims
today
allows
us
to
move
beyond
a
very
costly
litigation
process
and
focus
our
full
time,
energy
and
resources
on
what
matters
most:
our
agents,
affiliate
brokerages,
staff
and
clients,”
Mike
Golden,
the
co-CEO
of
@properties
and
Christie’s
International
Real
Estate,
said
in
a
statement.

The
firm
is
not
disclosing
the
dollar
amount
it
is
paying
as
part
of
the
settlement
agreement,
but
it
noted
that
the

terms
are
similar
to
those
previously
negotiated
by


Anywhere,


RE/MAX,


Keller
Williams,


Compass
and


The
Real
Brokerage.

Settlement
provisions
include
no
longer
requiring
agents
to
be
members
of
the National
Association
of
Realtors,
nor
must
they
follow NAR’s
Code
of
Ethics or
the
MLS
Handbook.

The
settlement
agreement
also
contains
changes
to
business
practices,
including
that
the
firm
will
require
or
encourage
agents
to
make
it
clear
to
clients
that
commissions
are
negotiable;
that
agents
will
have
the
freedom
to
set
or
negotiate
commissions
as
they
see
fit;
and
that
agents
will
not
be
required
to
make
offers
of
compensation
or
accept
offers
of
compensation
from
cooperating
brokers.

The
brokerage
also
said
it
will
not
provide
agents
with
any
software
that
filters
or
restricts
MLS
listings
based
on
the
level
of
compensation
being
offered.

The
firm
noted
that
the
settlement
does
not
in
any
way
indicated
that
the
firms
have
ever
participated
in
the
business
practices
alleged
by
the
plaintiffs.

“In
front
of
us,
we
have
yet
another
opportunity
to
demonstrate
the
value
that
highly
professional
real
estate
advisors
backed
by
the
industry’s
best
brokerage
firms
provide
to
home
buyers
and
sellers,
and
we
are
ready
for
that
moment,”
Thad
Wong,
the
firm’s
co-CEO,
said
in
a
statement.

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