Editor’s note: The COURT REPORT is RISMedia’s weekly look at current and upcoming lawsuits, investigations and other legal developments around real estate.
New Jersey Attorney General Sues RealPage
New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin (D) and the state’s Division of Consumer Affairs have filed an antitrust lawsuit against RealPage and “ten of the largest landlords” operating in New Jersey.
The suit alleges that the defendants conspired in a scheme to raise rents on multifamily residential housing properties in New Jersey. This supposed conspiracy was carried out through the use of RealPage’s algorithmic pricing software to drive up prices and the defendants’ sharing of sensitive information between themselves to avoid competition, the lawsuit alleges.
“The defendants in this case unlawfully lined their pockets at the expense of New Jersey renters who struggled to pay the increasingly unlivable price levels imposed by this cartel,” said Platkin in the AG’s office press release about the lawsuit. “Today we’re holding them accountable for unlawful conduct that fueled the state’s affordable housing crisis and deprived New Jerseyans of their fundamental right to shelter.”
RealPage has denied the allegations. Jennifer Bowcock, RealPage’s senior vice president of communications and creative, said in a statement that:
“The claims brought by the New Jersey attorney general are devoid of merit and will do nothing to make housing more affordable. New Jersey should stop scapegoating pro-competitive technology.”
RealPage has previously faced a civil lawsuit and criminal investigation over supposed rent price-fixing from the U.S. Department of Justice. The investigation was closed in December 2024, but the lawsuit (filed in August that year) remains ongoing and was refiled with an amended complaint in January 2025.
New Jersey is also currently debating a bill that would make it the first state in the nation to ban landlords from using algorithmic software to set prices. The city of Berkeley in California passed a similar law, which RealPage has already challenged in court.
Compass sues Northwest MLS, claiming monopoly due to Clear Cooperation
On Friday, April 25, 2025, Compass filed an anti-trust lawsuit against Seattle-based Northwest MLS (NWMLS). In its lawsuit, Compass alleged that the broker-owned MLS’ Clear Cooperation Policy (CCP) constituted a monopolistic practice.
Due to its broker-ownership, NWMLS is not required to adopt the Clear Cooperation Policy maintained by the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR). NWMLS President & CEO Justin Haag is an outspoken proponent of CCP principles, just as Compass CEO Robert Reffkin is a vocal opponent of the policy.
“Outside of Washington, homeowners can choose to list their home as a Compass Private Exclusive or Compass Coming Soon and receive the benefits of pre-marketing,” said a Compass press release, walking through the benefits of pre-marketing such as price testing, confidentiality and generating demand.
In the lawsuit, Compass claims that it tried to work with NWMLS to allow its “Private Exclusives” and other brokerage-specific offerings, using workarounds within NWMLS’ rules including non-exclusive listing agreements and through sellers “reserving discretion” on whether to pay buyer agents, which the company alleged should have allowed it to operate its private listing network in the area. Compass also claimed it lobbied NWMLS to change the rules that disallow these private listings.
According to Compass, NWMLS changed rules quickly to close these loopholes, and eventually retaliated by temporarily cutting off the brokerage’s IDX feed, which resulted in some sellers canceling their listing agreements with Compass agents.
In a press release written in March 2025 prior to the lawsuit, NWMLS stated that:
“Northwest MLS strongly believes that consumers should have access to all property listings and that sellers are entitled to the benefit of exposure of their property to the full marketplace. An open, fair, transparent and comprehensive marketplace benefits all market participants.”
The lawsuit is the culmination of a back and forth between Compass and NWMLS over the course of April. Compass has backed a website, Washington Homeowner Rights, which encourages Washington homeowners to join a class-action lawsuit against NWMLS for its enforcement of CCP. In mid-April, NWMLS temporarily shut down Compass’ internet data exchange (IDX) listing feed—the feed was reinstated on April 17 after Compass reaffirmed compliance with NWMLS rules.
United Wholesale Mortgage Sued by Ohio Attorney General
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost (R) has filed a lawsuit against United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM), one of the top mortgage lenders in the country. The lawsuit alleged that UWM used a network of brokers misleadingly labeled as independent advisors, who directed business back to UWM and allowed the lender to charge “above market rates” from borrowers in violation of state law.
“Buying a home is hard enough without having to worry about a lender scheming behind your back. This predatory business practice has no place in Ohio,” said Yost in the AG office’s press release about the lawsuit. UWM has denied the allegations and called the lawsuit “frivolous.”
In the lawsuit, the AG included over 500 pages of advertising and communications by loan officers and UWM allegedly misrepresenting the independence of the loan officers, or promising they would shop for lower rates for buyers.
In its statement, UWM compared the lawsuit to an ongoing class-action suit previously filed against it and CEO Mat Ishbia in 2024. This lawsuit, filed in Michigan, makes substantively similar allegations as the Ohio AG’s lawsuit.
UWM has alleged that the law firm representing the plaintiff class in the Michigan suit, Boies Schiller Flexner LLP, is in league with Hunterbrook, a hedge fund shorting UWM stock. Boies Schiller Flexner LLP has denied those allegations.
Judge dismisses harassment suit against NAR by former employee
The week of April 25, 2025, Judge Georgia Alexakis of Northern District of Illinois dismissed without prejudice four out of five claims made by former NAR employee Roshani Sheth in a suit against the association. Sheth has claimed mistreatment, including sexual harassment, and retaliation by NAR due to her complaints. Judge Alexakis ruled that Sheth has not provided sufficient factual evidence to substantiate four of the five claims.
However, Alexakis allowed for one of the claims—that NAR breached their contract with Sheth—to proceed. Sheth has until May 13, 2025 to file an amended complaint to revive her dismissed claims. (As they were dismissed without prejudice, the option is there to refile them in the future.)
“We are pleased that NAR’s motion to dismiss was granted for four of five claims in this case, and we will defend against the remaining claim before the Court,” said an NAR spokesperson in a statement.
Plaintiff in eXp Realty harassment suit mandated to face psychological exam
Former eXp Realty agents Michael Bjorkman and David Golden are the subjects of a lawsuit, also naming eXp itself, filed by women (some anonymous) who claim that Bjorkman and Golden drugged and assaulted them at recruiting events. The suit has also claimed that eXp founder Glenn Sanford ignored reporting about Bjorkman and Golden’s alleged crimes for his own financial benefit.
On April 21, 2025, Judge Alicia Rosenberg granted eXp Realty’s motion to compel plaintiff Christy Lundy to receive an independent forensic psychiatric evaluation.
“The examination will involve a detailed inquiry into many different pertinent topics which include, but not limited to, Plaintiff’s claimed emotional damages, the onset and course of current symptoms as well as several other clinical domains, such as psychiatric and mental health treatment history, social history, substance use, criminal history, medical history and current medications, family history, relationship histories, employment history and educational history,” the court order said.
According to court filings, plaintiffs had agreed to the exam, but had sought to have their attorneys present, something eXp objected to.
The exam will take place on Friday, May 23, 2025. A trial in the high-profile case is currently scheduled to begin this November.