CHICAGO, Nov. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri granted final approval of the National Association of Realtors^®’ proposed settlement agreement to resolve class action claims related to broker commissions. The Court heard from all parties as well as objectors and the Department of Justice. Once arguments concluded, the Court quickly ruled to grant final approval. The Court is expected to soon issue a formal written order.

The settlement secures a release of liability for more than 1.4 million NAR members, all state/territorial and local Realtor^® associations, Realtor^® Multiple Listing Services (MLSs), NAR’s affiliate organizations and all brokerages with an NAR member as principal that had a residential transaction volume in 2022 of $2 billion or below. The settlement also releases MLSs and brokerages that chose to opt-in to the agreement.

“This is an important moment for NAR members, home buyers and sellers, and the real estate industry,” said NAR President Kevin Sears, broker-associate of Sears Real Estate/Lamacchia Realty in Springfield, Massachusetts. “As consumer champions, NAR’s members have been working tirelessly to implement the practice changes required by the settlement and shepherd consumers through this period of transition. The principles of transparency, competition and choice are core to the settlement agreement and empower real estate professionals and consumers to negotiate the services and compensation that work for them.”

NAR CEO Nykia Wright said, “NAR is committed to empowering Realtors^® to help home buyers and sellers successfully navigate what is often the most important financial transaction of their lives. Today and every day, NAR is focused on demonstrating the importance of agents who are Realtors® in the marketplace, creating a transparent and inclusive home buying and selling process, and advancing the right to real property for all.”

More information about the practice changes in the settlement agreement can be found at NAR Settlement FAQs. NAR members must adhere to the practice changes in good faith to maintain released status under the settlement agreement. NAR strongly opposes any attempts to circumvent the settlement.

Under the settlement, NAR will also pay $418 million over approximately four years to the settlement fund. Membership dues for 2025 will remain unchanged from 2024.

For complete information about the settlement and the approval order once available, please visit facts.realtor.

About the National Association of Realtors^®
The National Association of Realtors^® is America’s largest trade association, representing 1.5 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries. The term Realtor^® is a registered collective membership mark that identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of Realtors^® and subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics. For free consumer guides about navigating the homebuying and selling transaction processes – from written buyer agreements to negotiating compensation – visit facts.realtor.

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ST. LOUIS (MBU) – The John Mason Peck Institute at Missouri Baptist University has awarded its first Fellow Scholarship to Michael T. Byrd Sr. in conjunction with the Missouri Baptist Foundation. The award was presented by Dr. Keith Ross, president of MBU; Dr. Neil Franks, president and treasurer of the Missouri Baptist Foundation; and Dr. Aaron Lumpkin, associate vice president for Spiritual Formation and assistant professor of Theology.

The John Mason Peck Institute at MBU exists to equip the next generation of Christian leaders who are pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Christian Ministry, offering workshops, mentorship opportunities and scholarships. MBU partners with the Missouri Baptist Foundation, a ministry dedicated to allocating financial assets for ministry partners through redemptive investing, to sponsor John Mason Peck Institute scholarship opportunities.

“President Ross and I are thankful for the partnership with the Missouri Baptist Foundation. This wouldn’t be possible without the Foundation’s support. And I couldn’t think of a better recipient of the first Fellow Scholarship in the Peck Institute than Michael Byrd,” said Dr. Aaron Lumpkin. “Pastor Byrd is a leader in our community, helping advance the good news of Jesus Christ across our city through church planting, discipleship and mentorship. We’re delighted to have him complete his degree at MBU and for him to be a part of the MBU community,” Lumpkin added.

Michael T. Byrd Sr. received the John Mason Peck Institute Fellow Scholarship for his ministry impact in St. Louis. Byrd is pursuing his bachelor’s degree in Christian Ministry while serving as pastor of Faith Community Bible Church in Jennings, Mo. In addition to his pastoral responsibilities, he is the Send City Missionary for St. Louis with the Send Network, the church-planting arm of the North American Mission Board. Byrd also oversees the Faithful Men Network, which seeks to connect with and encourage inner city pastors for mission and gospel partnerships. Byrd and his wife, Traci, have four children.

Missouri Baptist University is a Christ-centered university located in St. Louis. MBU offers more than 40 undergraduate degrees, graduate degrees in education, business and religion and the Doctor of Education. MBU offers degree programs at regional learning centers throughout the St. Louis metro area and online. For more information, visit www.mobap.edu or call 1-877-434-1115.

Missouri football has been bowl eligible for more than a month, securing the eligibility-sealing sixth win back on Oct. 19 against Auburn.

With two wins and two losses since then, an 8-3 overall record, and with Arkansas on Saturday at home left on the schedule, the Tigers’ potential bowl destinations have narrowed. The College Football Playoff dream is shot; the Citrus Bowl is likely just out of reach; the lower-tier bowls are in the rearview.

Mizzou, as the Tribune noted Saturday after the Tigers’ win over Mississippi State, is likely to fall into one of the six aptly named, SEC-affiliated Pool of Six bowls. 

Those, ordered by date, are as follows:

The Las Vegas Bowl (Dec. 27, Las Vegas); the Liberty Bowl (Dec. 27, Memphis, Tenn.); the Music City Bowl (Dec. 30, Nashville, Tenn.); the Texas Bowl (Dec. 31, Houston); the ReliaQuest Bowl (Dec. 31, Tampa, Fla.); and the Gator Bowl (Jan. 2, Jacksonville, Fla.).

More: Missouri football beat Mississippi State doing what it has done best: Bouncing back

More: Missouri football report card: Here’s how we graded Mizzou in road win at Mississippi State

So, where will it be? Mizzou won’t have an answer until Dec. 8, when ESPN will hold a live selection show. Here is where the national media has Missouri projected to play its bowl game. 

Hint: Jacksonville and Vegas are popular landing spots.

Action Network: Missouri football vs. Louisville in Gator Bowl 

Brett McMurphy of Action Network has Missouri projected to play Louisville in the Gator Bowl on Jan. 2 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida. 

Louisville is 7-4 this season with a 5-3 mark in ACC play, which will fall short of making the conference title game. The Cardinals have a nonconference game against Kentucky to close the season.

Mizzou has not played in the Gator Bowl since 1968, when coach Dan Devine’s Tigers knocked off the legendary Bear Bryant’s Alabama, 35-10.

ESPN: Las Vegas Bowl vs. USC, Gator Bowl vs. Louisville

Mark Schlabach of ESPN also has the Tigers facing Louisville in the Gator Bowl in his updated bowl projections.

His colleague Kyle Bonagura, however, has Missouri heading west to face USC in the Las Vegas Bowl, which is played on Dec. 27 at Allegiant Stadium in Sin City.

USC became bowl-eligible Saturday night by beating UCLA on the road and getting its sixth win of the season. The Trojans close their season against Notre Dame on Saturday in Los Angeles.

USA Today: Las Vegas Bowl vs. USC

Erick Smith of USA Today also is sending Mizzou to the desert to play Southern California.

Missouri has never played a bowl game in Las Vegas. The last time Mizzou played USC was in 1977, when the Tigers lost 27-10 in Columbia.

CBS Sports: Music City Bowl vs. Michigan

Jerry Palm of CBS Sports hasn’t wavered on his projection for Mizzou in multiple weeks: It’s the Music City Bowl vs. reigning national champion Michigan on Dec. 30 at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee.

The Wolverines became bowl eligible on Saturday by hammering Northwestern 50-6 at home. Coached by Sherrone Moore, Michigan has just ‘The Game’ to play in the regular season, as it heads to Columbus, Ohio, to face Ohio State this upcoming Saturday.

Mizzou has never made it all the way to the Music City Bowl. The Tigers were scheduled to play Iowa in the 2020 edition of the bowl game, but the game was canceled due to the pandemic.

If this projection plays out, it would be the second straight year Missouri has played a Big Ten bigwig in its bowl game, as the Tigers defeated Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl last season.