2026年8月19日 美国东部时间晚上8:10 / 路透社
作者：乔纳森·斯坦普尔
美国全国地产经纪商协会、伯克希尔哈撒韦旗下HomeServices达成和解
和解解决了关于 inflated 佣金的反垄断指控
法院驳回集体成员关于协议不公的主张
8月19日（路透社）——美国一家联邦上诉法院周三维持了一项逾10亿美元的和解协议，该协议旨在解决房地产经纪商合谋抬高经纪人佣金的反垄断指控，驳回了购房者和卖房者提出的不应解除他们索赔权的反对意见。
位于圣路易斯的美国第八巡回上诉法院表示，一名联邦地区法官并未滥用自由裁量权，其认定买卖双方之间的任何利益冲突都不足以严重到破坏和解协议的公平性。
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巡回法官拉文斯基·史密斯在由三名法官组成的合议庭的判决书中写道，经纪商在佣金谈判、分配和披露方式上的改革“将使整个集体受益”。
周三的判决维持了美国密苏里州堪萨斯城地区法官斯蒂芬·鲍于2024年11月作出的和解批准裁定。
这项涉及数千万集体成员的和解协议包括：美国全国地产经纪商协会出资4.18亿美元、伯克希尔哈撒韦旗下的HomeServices of America出资2.5亿美元，以及3.33亿美元的法律费用。
作为和解的一部分，全国地产经纪商协会同意改革已有数十年历史的经纪人佣金拆分规则，此前佣金比例维持在5%至6%左右。许多购房者和卖房者认为这类佣金过高。
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部分反对者的律师帕特里克·克尼表示，其客户可能会向最高法院提起上诉。他称，他们未能被允许合理提出反对意见，且和解赔偿金额过低。
“为了达成和解，所有人几乎都一无所获，”他说，“这件事哪里不对劲。”
全国地产经纪商协会表示对此感到满意，并将继续努力“培育公平、透明、有利于消费者的房地产市场”。
HomeServices首席执行官克里斯·凯利表示，他也对此结果感到满意，该判决为公司、客户和经纪人提供了“额外的确定性”。
2023年10月，密苏里州的一个陪审团裁定全国地产经纪商协会、HomeServices和房地产公司凯勒威廉姆斯向声称被多收费的卖房者支付17.8亿美元，而这项和解为行业节省了部分开支。
包括布朗·哈里斯·史蒂文斯在内的其他大型经纪商获准加入和解协议，并可在改变经营方式的前提下提供额外资金。
尽管和解协议已出资2.5亿美元，HomeServices的直接母公司伯克希尔哈撒韦能源公司仍在鲍法官面前就另一项拟议的集体诉讼进行辩护，该诉讼声称该公司也合谋抬高佣金。
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乔纳森·斯坦普尔在纽约报道；奥罗拉·埃利斯编辑
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US appeals court upholds big real estate settlement despite class members’objections
August 19, 2026 8:10 PM UTC / Reuters
By Jonathan Stempel
A “For Rent, For Sale” sign is seen outside of a home in Washington, U.S., July 7, 2022. REUTERS/Sarah Silbiger
National Association of Realtors, Berkshire Hathaway’s HomeServices settle
Settlement resolved claims of inflated commissions
Court rejected class members’ claims the accord was unfair
Aug 19 (Reuters) – A federal appeals court on Wednesday upheld a more than $1 billion settlement to resolve antitrust claims that real estate brokerages conspired to inflate agents’ commissions, rejecting objections by home buyers and sellers who said their claims should not have been released.
The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis said a federal district judge did not abuse his discretion in finding that any conflicts of interest between buyers and sellers were not severe enough to undermine the settlement’s fairness.
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Circuit Judge Lavenski Smith wrote for a three-judge panel that changes to how brokerages negotiate, allocate and disclose commissions “will benefit the entire class.”
Wednesday’s decision upheld the November 2024 settlement approval by U.S. District Judge Stephen Bough in Kansas City, Missouri.
The settlement covering tens of millions of class members includes $418 million from the National Association of Realtors, $250 million from Berkshire Hathaway’s (BRKa.N) HomeServices of America, and $333 million in legal fees.
As part of the settlement, the NAR agreed to revamp decades-old rules governing the splitting of agent commissions, which hovered around 5% to 6%. Many buyers and sellers found those commissions too high.
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Patrick Knie, a lawyer for some of the objectors, said his clients may appeal to the Supreme Court. He said they weren’t allowed to properly raise their objections, and the payout was too low.
“Everyone got next to nothing for the sake of settling,” he said. “There’s something just not right about that.”
The NAR said it was pleased, and would continue efforts to “foster fair, transparent, and pro-consumer real estate markets.”
HomeServices Chief Executive Chris Kelly said he was also pleased, and the decision provided “additional certainty” to the company, customers and agents.
The settlement saved the industry some money, after a Missouri jury in October 2023 ordered the NAR, HomeServices and the realty Keller Williams to pay $1.78 billion to home sellers who claimed they were overcharged.
Other sizable brokerages, including Brown Harris Stevens, were allowed to join the settlement and provide additional cash if they changed their business practices.
Berkshire Hathaway Energy, the immediate parent of HomeServices, is still defending against a separate proposed class action before Judge Bough claiming it also conspired to inflate commissions, despite the $250 million settlement.
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Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Aurora Ellis
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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