The company is the second company to settle a lawsuit known as “Batton.” Keller Williams already settled the case last month.
REMAX announced Wednesday that it has agreed to settle the high-profile Baton Commission lawsuit, making it the second company after Keller Williams to reach a resolution in the case.
REMAX announced the settlement in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The filing said the company agreed to pay $8.5 million. The filing further states that while the settlement “resolves all remaining claims against REMAX in the litigation,” the settlement “is not an admission or concession of liability or admission of the validity of any party’s claims, defenses, facts or law.”
“REMAX continues to deny the material allegations of the complaint in the lawsuit,” the filing added.
Inman has reached out to REMAX for comment and will update this article with a statement from the company.
Like other recent lawsuits, Button alleges that the National Association of Realtors and various major franchisors participated in a “decade-long national antitrust conspiracy” that resulted in homebuyers paying “billions of dollars in excess fees.” In the past, Mr Button has had trouble getting through the court system.
Moreover, it differs from most famous commission cases, such as Sitzer. While the Barnett and Mehr lawsuits were brought by home sellers, the Baton lawsuit began as a homebuyer lawsuit. As a result, this case was not included in the wave of real estate industry settlements that made headlines from 2023 to 2024.
Keller Williams reached its own settlement in the Baton lawsuit in February. But in Keller Williams’ case, the company agreed to pay $20 million. At the time, the company said it was “the first defendant to resolve this case with the goal of eliminating uncertainty for franchisees and agents.”
Both Keller Williams and REMAX previously settled similar home seller lawsuits. Keller Williams announced a settlement with home sellers in 2024, saying it would pay $70 million. REMAX settled for $55 million in 2023.
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