Commitments and Contingencies	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2022
Commitments and Contingencies
Commitments and Contingencies	12. Commitments and Contingencies A number of putative class action complaints are pending against the National Association of Realtors (“NAR”), Realogy Holdings Corp., HomeServices of America, Inc., RE/MAX, LLC and Keller Williams Realty, Inc. The first was filed on March 6, 2019, by plaintiff Christopher Moehrl in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois (the “Moehrl Action”). Similar actions have been filed in various federal courts. The complaints make substantially similar allegations and seek substantially similar relief. For convenience, all of these lawsuits are collectively referred to as the “Moehrl-related suits.” In the Moehrl Action, the plaintiffs allege that a NAR rule requires brokers to make a blanket, non-negotiable offer of buyer broker compensation when listing a property, resulting in inflated costs to sellers in violation of federal antitrust law. They further allege that certain defendants use their agreements with franchisees to require adherence to the NAR rule in violation of federal antitrust law. Amended complaints added allegations regarding buyer steering and non-disclosure of buyer-broker compensation to the buyer. While similar to the Moehrl Action, the Moehrl-related suits also allege: state antitrust violations; unjust enrichment; state consumer protection statute violations; harm to home buyers rather than sellers; violations of the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act; and claims against a multiple listing service (MLS) defendant rather than NAR. In one of the Moehrl-related suits, filed by plaintiffs Scott and Rhonda Burnett and others in the Western District of Missouri, the court on April 22, 2022 granted plaintiffs’ motion for class certification and set a trial date for February 2023. Among other requested relief, plaintiffs seek damages against the defendants and injunctive relief. The Company intends to vigorously defend against all claims. The Company may become involved in additional litigation or other legal proceedings concerning the same or similar claims. We are unable to predict whether resolution of these matters would have a material effect on our financial position or results of operations. On April 9, 2021, a putative class action claim was filed in the Federal Court of Canada against the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board (“TRREB”), The Canadian Real Estate Association (“CREA”), RE/MAX Ontario-Atlantic Canada Inc. (“RE/MAX OA”), which was acquired by the Company in July 2021 (see Note 6, Acquisitions, for additional information), Century 21 Canada Limited Partnership, Royal Lepage Real Estate Services Ltd., and many other real estate companies by the putative representative plaintiff, Mark Sunderland (the “Plaintiff”). The Plaintiff alleges that the Defendants and their co-conspirators conspired, agreed or arranged with each other to fix, maintain, increase, control, raise, or stabilize the rate of real estate buyers’ brokerages’ and salespersons’ commissions in respect of the purchase and sale of properties listed on TRREB’s multiple listing service system (the “Toronto MLS”); that the Defendants and their co-conspirators acted in furtherance of their conspiracy, agreement or arrangement to fix, maintain, increase, control, raise, or stabilize the rate of real estate buyers’ brokerages’ and salespersons’ commissions in respect of the purchase and sale of properties listed on the Toronto MLS; and violation of Part VI of the Competition Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. C-34 (“Competition Act”). On February 24, 2022, plaintiff filed a Fresh as Amended Statement of Claim. With respect RE/MAX OA, the amended claim alleges Franchisor Defendants aided and abetted their respective franchisee brokerages and their salespeople in violation of the section 45(1) of the Competition Act. Among other requested relief, Plaintiff seeks damages against the defendants and injunctive relief. RE/MAX OA denies the allegations in the claim and intends to vigorously defend the action.

Commitments and Contingencies

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2022

12. Commitments and Contingencies

A number of putative class action complaints are pending against the National Association of Realtors (“NAR”), Realogy Holdings Corp., HomeServices of America, Inc., RE/MAX, LLC and Keller Williams Realty, Inc. The first was filed on March 6, 2019, by plaintiff Christopher Moehrl in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois (the “Moehrl Action”). Similar actions have been filed in various federal courts. The complaints make substantially similar allegations and seek substantially similar relief. For convenience, all of these lawsuits are collectively referred to as the “Moehrl-related suits.” In the Moehrl Action, the plaintiffs allege that a NAR rule requires brokers to make a blanket, non-negotiable offer of buyer broker compensation when listing a property, resulting in inflated costs to sellers in violation of federal antitrust law. They further allege that certain defendants use their agreements with franchisees to require adherence to the NAR rule in violation of federal antitrust law. Amended complaints added allegations regarding buyer steering and non-disclosure of buyer-broker compensation to the buyer. While similar to the Moehrl Action, the Moehrl-related suits also allege: state antitrust violations; unjust enrichment; state consumer protection statute violations; harm to home buyers rather than sellers; violations of the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act; and claims against a multiple listing service (MLS) defendant rather than NAR. In one of the Moehrl-related suits, filed by plaintiffs Scott and Rhonda Burnett and others in the Western District of Missouri, the court on April 22, 2022 granted plaintiffs’ motion for class certification and set a trial date for February 2023. Among other requested relief, plaintiffs seek damages against the defendants and injunctive relief. The Company intends to vigorously defend against all claims. The Company may become involved in additional litigation or other legal proceedings concerning the same or similar claims. We are unable to predict whether resolution of these matters would have a material effect on our financial position or results of operations.

On April 9, 2021, a putative class action claim was filed in the Federal Court of Canada against the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board (“TRREB”), The Canadian Real Estate Association (“CREA”), RE/MAX Ontario-Atlantic Canada Inc. (“RE/MAX OA”), which was acquired by the Company in July 2021 (see Note 6, Acquisitions, for additional information), Century 21 Canada Limited Partnership, Royal Lepage Real Estate Services Ltd., and many other real estate companies by the putative representative plaintiff, Mark Sunderland (the “Plaintiff”). The Plaintiff alleges that the Defendants and their co-conspirators conspired, agreed or arranged with each other to fix, maintain, increase, control, raise, or stabilize the rate of real estate buyers’ brokerages’ and salespersons’ commissions in respect of the purchase and sale of properties listed on TRREB’s multiple listing service system (the “Toronto MLS”); that the Defendants and their co-conspirators acted in furtherance of their conspiracy, agreement or arrangement to fix, maintain, increase, control, raise, or stabilize the rate of real estate buyers’ brokerages’ and salespersons’ commissions in respect of the purchase and sale of properties listed on the Toronto MLS; and violation of Part VI of the Competition Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. C-34 (“Competition Act”). On February 24, 2022, plaintiff filed a Fresh as Amended Statement of Claim. With respect RE/MAX OA, the amended claim alleges Franchisor Defendants aided and abetted their respective franchisee brokerages and their salespeople in violation of the section 45(1) of the Competition Act. Among other requested relief, Plaintiff seeks damages against the defendants and injunctive relief. RE/MAX OA denies the allegations in the claim and intends to vigorously defend the action.