NAR Prevails in Homie Litigation
A federal court dismissed Homie’s antitrust claims against NAR and major brokerages with prejudice, barring the company from refiling the lawsuit.
CHICAGO — The U.S. District Court for the District of Utah has dismissed antitrust claims against the National Association of Realtors® by Homie Technology, a Utah-based company that offers real estate brokerage services for a flat fee.
Homie filed a lawsuit in August 2024 alleging NAR and a group of large brokerages violated antitrust law. In a July 15 ruling, District Court Judge Dale Kimball wrote that Homie had failed to show that NAR and large brokerage companies named in the suit — Anywhere Real Estate, HomeServices of America, and RE/MAX — had conspired to cause antitrust injury to the company.
Kimball’s order stated that Homie had not “plausibly pleaded an antitrust injury based on some sort of market foreclosure, exclusion, or barriers to entry; and it fails to allege specific facts that establish that it sustained an antitrust injury from the alleged boycotts because it fails to allege that Defendants participated in these boycotts in any way.”
“NAR is pleased with the court’s ruling to dismiss the case with prejudice,” says NAR General Counsel Jon Waclawski. “NAR will continue to facilitate local real estate marketplaces that provide fair and equal access to property information, foster competition, and empower NAR members to serve clients on their homebuying and selling journeys.”
In October 2024 NAR filed a motion to dismiss the case, and the court heard oral arguments in February. Dismissal with prejudice prevents Homie from refiling the same claim. Homie previously dismissed Wasatch Front Regional MLS and Keller Williams from the lawsuit.
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