On March 15, 2024, the National Association of REALTORS^® (NAR) announced that it reached a proposed settlement agreement to resolve the litigation relating to federal antitrust conspiracy claims. This agreement is subject to court approval, which could take several months. Wisconsin already has in effect many of the pro-consumer policies identified in the proposed settlement agreement: the WB listing contracts and buyer agency agreements outline commission agreement information, and Wisconsin law requires written buyer agency agreements to be executed prior to an agent providing services to a buyer.

You understandably may have additional questions about NAR’s proposed settlement agreement and how it will impact future real estate practice in Wisconsin. The WRA is currently working to answer those questions and will continue to communicate with WRA members as additional details become available. 

In the meantime, the following resources are at your disposal as a WRA member:

• The WRA Legal Hotline is available to answer your questions.
• The WRA antitrust resource webpage at www.wra.org/antitrust includes the latest information from the WRA about the litigation.
• NAR’s “Fostering Consumer-friendly Real Estate Marketplaces” webpage at nar.realtor/competition-in-real-estate provides resources related to the settlement.