© Reuters. Townhomes line a street in Fairfax, on the morning the National Association of Realtors issues its Pending Home Sales for February report, in Virginia March 27, 2014. REUTERS/Larry Downing /File Photo
The verdict followed a two-week trial in federal court in Kansas City, where the case had drawn widespread attention for challenging widely used real estate industry practices. The defendants also included Keller Williams and Berkshire Hathaway-owned HomeServices of America and two of its subsidiaries. The class members include sellers of more than 260,000 homes in Missouri and parts of Kansas and Illinois between 2015 and 2012.Keller Williams spokesperson Darryl Frost said the company would consider options for an appeal."This is not the end," Frost said.
The plaintiffs claimed the association and corporate defendants drove up the commission, upwards of 6%, that home sellers pay to brokers representing buyers.