Attorneys at one of the law firms that served as co-lead counsel in the Moehrl class-action commission lawsuit are taking aim at the real estate industry yet again.
Consumer-rights law firm Hagens Berman published a press release last week urging homesellers who have sold their home since 2021 “with the assistance of an online real estate agent” to contact the law firm. The release states that the homesellers may be eligible for compensation as a result of “deceptive practices.”
The press release linked to a page on Hagens Berman’s website where consumers can fill out a form if they have taken part in a home sale during the specified period. In other parts of the release, it simply said homesellers who worked with a real estate agent — not an “online” agent — may qualify as part of a class-action lawsuit.
The web page further explains that it is looking into the rights of sellers “who may have overpaid due to allegedly deceptive conduct in the real estate industry.”
“Even if your own agent did nothing wrong, industry practices may have forced you to pay more than you should have,” the web page continues.
The firm did not specify what the deceptive practices being investigated are, nor did it give a definition of an “online real estate agent.”
Hagens Berman did not respond to Inman’s multiple requests for comment.
However, Steve W. Berman — managing partner of Hagens Berman and co-lead counsel in the Moehrl case — said in a statement that, “Our investigation is about making sure the real estate market is fair and just for consumers.”
“Buying or selling a home is one of the biggest financial decisions people make. Our job is to make sure families can trust the process and aren’t taken advantage of,” Berman added. “If we find that consumers were misled, we’re prepared to act to hold companies responsible.”
The firm also touts on its website that it secured settlements in excess of $1 billion with 29 real estate franchises in its recent class-action suit against major real estate companies over the alleged inflation of home sale commissions.
This week marked the one-year anniversary of when new industry practices were put into effect as part of the National Association of Realtors settlement deal, including written buyer-broker agreements with consumers.
