If You Bought a Home, You May Be Owed Money: Commission Settlement Deadlines Are Closing

Quick Summary

Class action lawsuits over U.S. real estate commissions have started to resolve. These settlements are for home buyers, not home sellers. Two separate funds are currently open for claims:

These settlements are nationwide. All 50 states, Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico are covered — only the eligible date range varies by state.

The most important point: These are two completely separate cases, with separate funds, separate administrators and separate claim forms. Filing one does not file the other. If you qualify for both, you must submit two separate claims.

What are these lawsuits actually about?

In the U.S., when a home is sold, the seller has traditionally paid the full commission, which is then shared with the buyer's agent. For anyone who has bought property in another country, this is often the most confusing part of the American system.

The plaintiffs in these cases argued that industry rules pushed sellers to offer high commissions to buyer's agents, and that this cost was ultimately passed on to buyers through higher home prices. In other words, buyers may have paid part of that commission without realizing it.

The defendants did not admit wrongdoing. No court has ruled that these companies broke the law. They chose to settle rather than continue litigating, and created a fund. This article explains how to claim a share of that fund.

I want to be precise about this: it is not accurate to say "real estate companies were found guilty and fined." The correct framing is: allegations were made, denied, and the parties settled.

Settlement 1: Keller Williams and RE/MAX — $28.5 Million

This is the urgent one.

The case is Batton et al. v. The National Association of REALTORS et al., in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Keller Williams agreed to pay $20 million and RE/MAX agreed to pay $8.5 million. The court granted final approval on August 4, 2026.

Eligibility requirements

All three conditions must be met:

1. Date: You purchased the home on or after your state's start date and on or before April 14, 2026. The start date varies by state — find yours in the table below.
2. MLS: The home you purchased was listed on a Multiple Listing Service.
3. Commission: A commission was paid to a brokerage in connection with the sale.

Which start date applies to your state?

The settlement covers all 50 states, Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico. Only the start date varies. The end date is the same everywhere: April 14, 2026.

Worth noting: Texas has the narrowest window of any state. If you bought in New York or New Jersey you can go back to 2015, and in Louisiana to 2011. So if you have an older purchase in another state, it's worth checking.

If you bought homes in more than one state, file a separate claim for each property.

Two things people get wrong

You do not need to have used a Keller Williams or RE/MAX agent. This is the most common misunderstanding. Whichever brokerage you bought through, if you meet the three conditions above, you may file.

If you bought more than one home, you must file a separate claim for each property. You cannot list two homes on one form.

How to file

• Online: Go to HomeBuyerLitigation.com and complete the Claim Form. Deadline: August 25, 2026, 11:59 PM Central Time.
• By mail: Print the form from the same site and mail it to the Claims Administrator. It must be postmarked by the same date.
• No documents required for this settlement.
• No Unique ID required. You can file even if you never received a notice in the mail.

The form will likely ask for the property address, purchase date, purchase price and commission information. All of this appears on your Closing Disclosure.

Settlement 2: NAR and Other Brokerages — $120.3 Million

This is the larger fund, with a later deadline: October 27, 2026.

The case is Tuccori v. At World Properties. NAR and a number of brokerages agreed to pay $120,334,500. Payments will be distributed pro rata based on the commission paid, so those who paid higher commissions receive larger payments.

What's different:

• The class periods vary by state and are not identical to the first case. Qualifying for one does not mean you qualify for the other. Check both separately.
• This settlement does require documentation — a recorded deed or closing document.
• Official site: HomeBuyerSettlement.com

If you qualify for the first settlement, handle that one first since the deadline is much closer, then review the second.

Who cannot file?

Home sellers. The claim windows for the seller-side commission settlements have closed — the first group on May 9, 2025 and the final group on December 30, 2025. The two open settlements are for buyers only.

Renters. Lease transactions are not covered.

Buyers of homes never listed on an MLS. If you bought directly from an owner (FSBO) and the home never went on the MLS, you are likely outside the class.

Transactions with no brokerage commission. If no commission was paid to any brokerage, the condition is not met.

A note for new construction buyers

In the Houston area — Katy, Cypress, Richmond, Tomball and similar communities — many buyers purchase new construction directly from builders such as Lennar, Highland Homes, Perry or Smith Douglas. The answer here varies case by case:

• If you used an agent and the builder paid your agent a commission: the key question is whether the home was listed on the MLS. Many builders list their homes, but not all do.
• If you went to the builder alone with no agent: no brokerage commission may have been paid, in which case you are likely outside the class.

If you aren't sure, check your Closing Disclosure. The brokerage commission line (often in Section H) will show which brokerage was paid and how much. If you see a brokerage name and a commission amount, that condition is satisfied.

How much money will I receive?

Honest answer: nobody knows yet.

The amount depends on three things:

1. How many total claims are filed
2. Your home's purchase price
3. The commission paid on your transaction

Attorneys' fees, litigation expenses and administration costs are deducted first. What remains is distributed pro rata among approved claimants.

Don't believe anyone who promises a specific dollar figure — that number cannot be calculated yet. The payment may turn out to be modest. But filing costs nothing and takes a few minutes, so there's no reason to leave it on the table.

Fraud warning — please read this

Whenever news like this breaks, third-party services appear offering to "file on your behalf," typically for 20-40% of whatever you receive.

You do not need them. Filing is:

• Completely free
• Done directly on the official sites
• A matter of minutes
• Not something that requires an attorney

Use only these two addresses:

• Keller Williams / RE/MAX case: HomeBuyerLitigation.com
• NAR case: HomeBuyerSettlement.com

Also: no legitimate administrator will call you asking for your Social Security number, bank password or credit card information. If you get a call like that, hang up.

Frequently Asked Questions

I'm a green card holder, not a citizen. Can I file? Eligibility is based on the home purchase, not immigration status. If you meet the conditions, you may file. A tax ID (SSN or ITIN) may be requested at the payment stage.

I bought the home through an LLC or company. Entities are included in the settlement class definitions. Complete the form with the entity's information.

I already sold the home. Can I still file? Yes. What matters is that the purchase met the conditions. You do not need to still own the property.

I lost my closing documents. What now? Request a copy from your title company or lender. You can also pull the recorded deed from your county clerk (Harris County, Fort Bend County, etc.). The first settlement doesn't require documents anyway.

When will I get paid? After the claim window closes, the administrator processes all claims and the court approves distribution. This typically takes months. Don't expect immediate payment.

Does filing give up my right to sue later? In class action settlements, claimants generally release their claims on that subject. If you want to evaluate that in light of your own circumstances, speak with an attorney.

What to do next

1. Find your Closing Disclosure — purchase date, price and commission are all there.
2. Go to HomeBuyerLitigation.com and confirm the Texas class period.
3. If you qualify, submit the form before August 25, 2026, 11:59 PM CT.
4. Save your confirmation email or a screenshot.
5. Put October 27 on your calendar and review the second settlement at HomeBuyerSettlement.com.

Disclaimer

I am a licensed Texas real estate agent — not an attorney, accountant or legal advisor. This article is not legal advice and is provided for general information only. Please verify your own eligibility directly on the official settlement websites. Dates, terms and procedures can change by court order, and updates may have occurred after this article was published. If you have questions about your specific situation, consult an attorney.

Published: August 20, 2026.

Sources

• Home Buyer Class Action Litigation — official court-authorized site for the Keller Williams / RE/MAX settlement: https://homebuyerlitigation.com/
• Homebuyer Antitrust Settlement — official court-authorized site for the NAR settlement: https://homebuyersettlement.com/en
• Residential Real Estate Broker Commissions Antitrust Settlements — official site for the seller-side settlements (deadlines passed): https://www.realestatecommissionlitigation.com/
• HousingWire — "REMAX, Keller Williams win final approval of Batton 1 settlement": https://www.housingwire.com/articles/batton-1-remax-keller-settlement/
• Inman — "REMAX Settles Buyer Commission Lawsuit For $8.5M": https://www.inman.com/2026/03/25/remax-settles-buyer-commission-lawsuit-for-8-5m/
• The Close — "Homebuyer Commission Claims Deadline Nears: Who Could Qualify?": https://theclose.com/news-homebuyer-commission-settlement-claims/
• KHOU 11 (Houston) — "Homebuyers: You may be entitled to settlement cash. Here's the deadline": https://www.khou.com/article/money/homebuyers-settlement-cash-deadline-mls/285-ade7ae94-6d1d-4ba2-9949-aefd802761e5

If this is confusing or you'd like help reading your Closing Disclosure, reach out.

Can Colpan — Executive Texas Realty (281) 774-8559 · info@cancolpan.com · www.cancolpan.com