A proposed class action lawsuit relating to real estate broker compensation has been filed against the Bay Area Real Estate Information Service (BARIES) a broker-owned multiple listing service serving real estate professionals in Marin, Sonoma, Napa, Solano, and Mendocino counties and the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR), RE/MAX, Anywhere and others. This lawsuit appears to be of a similar nature to the highly publicized lawsuit brought against NAR and others in Missouri Federal Court. The Defendants have announced they will be vigorously contesting the matter, in part because unlike other Multiple Listing Services, they are not an NAR-related MLS.
Bay East will keep you advised regarding this litigation. If you are contacted by anyone involved in the litigation, we suggest you contact Tricia Thomas, Bay East CEO before engaging in any comments or discussions.
The California Association of REALTORS® has a summary of the litigation and what it means for brokers and agents.