Celebrity Broker Sues National Association of Realtors Over House Listings

Celebrity broker Mauricio Umansky, founder of PLS.com and star of The Agency, has reignited a major legal confrontation with the National Association of Realtors (NAR). On July 1, 2025, PLS.com—Umansky’s now-closed platform for private listings—filed a federal antitrust lawsuit alleging that NAR and its affiliated MLS services conspired to suppress competition through the controversial “Clear Cooperation Policy” (CCP).

Originally launched in 2020 and paused last year, the lawsuit was refiled in federal court today. It charges that NAR’s CCP, enacted in late 2019, forces any public marketing of properties onto NAR-affiliated MLS platforms within one business day. Critics argue this rule effectively squelches private listings and pocket deals favored in high-end, privacy-conscious markets.

At its 2019 peak, PLS.com boasted nearly 20,000 members. Its lawsuit claims NAR-affiliated MLS boards “colluded” to author white papers, strategize policy enforcement behind closed doors, and banish alternative listing platforms aimed at privacy, flexibility, and market discretion.

A spokesperson for PLS.com defended the legal move as essential to “defending innovation and consumer choice in a market long dominated by entrenched gatekeepers.” The suit seeks treble damages, arguing the CCP inflated property costs and restricted access by blocking competing platforms.

The case arrives amid heightened regulatory scrutiny of NAR, coming on the heels of its massive $418 million settlement in the landmark Burnett v. NAR case, which addressed cooperation and compensation rules .

As the filing progresses, real estate professionals and buyers alike are keeping an eye on how the dispute might reshape listing norms. Will private-listing platforms make a comeback—or will NAR’s dominance remain intact? Expect a prolonged fight that could redefine MLS rules nationwide.