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Legal settlement could end 6% real estate commissions and reduce San Diego home prices

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Legal settlement could end 6% real estate commissions and reduce San Diego home prices


San Diego County homeowners could see a drop in the cost to sell properties after a historic settlement involving a national real estate agent group.

The National Association of Realtors has agreed to pay $418 million to settle a series of lawsuits that alleged the organization conspired to keep agent commissions high. As part of the deal, the association will do away with rules that led to set commissions, which typically are around 5 percent to 6 percent.

The association acknowledged the pending settlement in a statement March 15 and denied any wrongdoing.

Industry professionals say the settlement could mean a drop in commissions, which often are baked into the overall selling price of a home, and potentially lower housing costs across the nation. It’s expected to make a big difference in costly markets like San Diego.

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Norm Miller, a real estate professor at the University of San Diego, said a drop in commissions to 3 percent to 4 percent would mean more money in the pockets of buyers and sellers. Though the median home price might not come down, or at least not soon, it is possible that reduced fees will motivate more sellers to put homes on the market, increasing inventory and reducing competition.

The median home price in San Diego County in January was $802,500. Assuming a seller paid 6 percent in real estate commissions, that’s about $48,000. If the commissions were 4 percent, that would be about $32,000.

Miller said there are real estate agents who are worth the fees but that a lot of them might not be.

“There are some really good agents out there that keep you out of trouble,” he said. “For some buyers and sellers, it is worth the fee because the risk is so high. The problem is, we have all these part-time, mediocre-type agents out there that don’t know what they are doing.”

A possible change in commissions comes during a tough time for those in the business of selling houses. There were roughly 23,000 real estate agents in San Diego County in January, according to the state Employment Development Department. Only 1,678 homes sold that month, a tie for the lowest sales month in county history, according to CoreLogic.

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Agent Raylene Brundage, a director at the California Association of Realtors, said the change will be good for the industry by making the process more professional. As a 20-year real estate veteran, she said she’s seen part-time agents or discount brokerages make mistakes that lead to lawsuits and bad deals for clients.

“I’m a seasoned agent that is a very good negotiator,” she said. “My value is not the same as an agent that does one or two deals a year. I protect my clients.”

Consumers must pay a brokerage fee for listing their property on a multiple listing service, or MLS — 5 percent to 6 percent depending on where they live. After selling, half the fee goes to the agent representing the seller, and the buyer’s agent gets the other half.

“There are some really good agents out there that keep you out of trouble. … The problem is, we have all these part-time, mediocre-type agents out there that don’t know what they are doing.”

— Norm Miller, real estate professor

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Without a set commission, agents may lower rates to compete for business. Critics often argued that buyers’ agents were more likely to steer clients to higher-priced homes as a way to get a bigger commission. The settlement requires that any fields on online databases displaying broker compensation be removed.

It will take time for San Diego County buyers and sellers to see any difference. For starters, the National Association of Realtors needs to get the deal approved in federal court. If and when it is approved, it could be awhile before its effects on fees and the industry as a whole are known.

Miller and others have suggested the change might create a new type of business model for buying and selling homes.

Also, there is speculation that a large number of real estate agents may walk away from the profession if there’s a smaller chance of a set commission, adding to difficulties with low sales figures. Investment banking firm Keefe, Bruyette & Woods said 1 million agents could leave the industry after commissions change. ◆

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San Diego, CA

Game 21: San Diego Padres at Los Angeles Angels

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Game 21: San Diego Padres at Los Angeles Angels


San Diego Padres (14-7) at Los Angeles Angels (11-11), April 19, 2026, 1:07 p.m. PST

Watch: Padres.TV

Location: Angel Stadium – Anaheim, Calif.

Listen: 97.3 The Fan

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Solans, Luna, Guilavogui help RSL beat slumping San Diego, extend unbeaten streak to 6 games :: WRALSportsFan.com

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Solans, Luna, Guilavogui help RSL beat slumping San Diego, extend unbeaten streak to 6 games :: WRALSportsFan.com


— SANDY, Utah (AP) — Sergi Solans had two goals and an assist, Diego Luna added a goal and two assists, and Real Salt Lake beat San Diego FC 4-2 on Saturday night to extend its unbeaten streak to six games.

Morgan Guilavogui scored his first goal in MLS and had an assist for Real Salt Lake (5-1-1). The 28-year-old designated player has five goal contributions in his first six career games.

RSL hasn’t lost since a 1-0 defeat at Vancouver in the season opener.

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San Diego (3-3-2) has lost three in a row and is winless in five straight.

Luna opened the scoring in the fifth minute when he re-directed a misplayed pass by Duran Ferree, San Diego’s 19-year-old goalkeeper, into the net.

Moments later, Solans headed home a perfectly-placed cross played by Luna from outside the right corner of the 18-yard box to the back post to make it 2-0. Solans, a 23-year-old forward, flicked a header from the center of the area inside the right post and past the outstretched arm of Ferree to make it 3-1 in the 37th minute.

Guilavogui slammed home a first-touch shot to give RSL a three-goal lead in the 45th.

Marcus Ingvartsen scored a goal in the 14th minute and Anders Dreyer converted from the penalty spot in the 66th for San Diego.

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Ingvartsen has five goals and an assist this season and has 10 goal contributions (seven goals, three assists) in 16 career MLS appearances.

Rafael Cabral had three saves for RSL.

Ferree finished with five saves.

___

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/soccer

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How San Diego Has Quietly Emerged as One of America’s Great Dining Destinations

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How San Diego Has Quietly Emerged as One of America’s Great Dining Destinations


When John Resnick opened Campfire on a quaint little street in Carlsbad, Calif., in 2016, some locals weren’t sure what to think. The coastal enclave wasn’t exactly awash in innovative, chef-driven establishments, so it was a shock to see the dining room consistently full. Early on, one woman wondered aloud to Resnick, “Where did all these people come from?”

It’s a moment he remembers vividly. “I was struck by her statement, because I think she was surprised that so many other people in Carlsbad were there,” Resnick says. 

The rest of the culinary world would take some time to catch up to what was happening. In 2019, when Michelin expanded to rate restaurants throughout all of California—not just the San Francisco area—Addison was the only one in San Diego to earn a star. But since emerging from the pandemic, the region’s food scene has grown dramatically. Driven by outstanding farms, ingredients, a bumper crop of talented chefs, and a G.D.P. approximately the size of New Zealand or Greece, San Diego County has become one of America’s most underrated dining destinations.

Campfire’s octopus, chorizo, and celery-root entrée.

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Gage Forster

Perhaps no single restaurant is a better emblem for this shift than chef William Bradley’s Addison, which opened in 2006. After landing his first star, Bradley knew he wanted more. To get them, he transformed his French-leaning fare to serve what he calls California Gastronomy, which combines the cultures of SoCal with impeccable ingredients and wildly impressive techniques, prizing flavor over flair. Michelin responded, awarding Addison a second star in 2022, and making it the first Southern California three-star restaurant just a year later. The accolade has created a halo effect, attracting culinary tourists from around the world.

Berry beet tartlets at San Diego’s three-star stalwart Addison.

Berry beet tartlets at San Diego’s three-star stalwart Addison.

Eric Wolfinger

“Earning three stars forces the global dining community to pay attention to a place that may not have been on their radar before,” says chef Eric Bost, a partner in Resnick’s four Carlsbad establishments. 

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Resnick recruited Bost, who spent time at award-winning outposts of Restaurant Guy Savoy, to run Jeune et Jolie, which he led to a star in 2021. They’ve since taken over an old boogie-board factory down the street and converted it to an all-day restaurant and bakery, Wildland. The space also hosts an exquisite tasting-counter experience called Lilo, which was given a Michelin star mere months after opening in April 2025. And as Resnick and Bost grew their successful Carlsbad operation, chef Roberto Alcocer earned a Michelin star for his Mexican fine-dining spot Valle in nearby Oceanside.

The stylish tasting counter at Michelin one-star Lilo in Carlsbad.

The stylish tasting counter at Michelin one-star Lilo in Carlsbad.

Kimberly Motos

About 25 miles to the south, another affluent coastal community is going through its own culinary glow up. In La Jolla, chef Tara Monsod and the hospitality group Puffer Malarkey Collective opened the stylish French steakhouse Le Coq. Chef Erik Anderson, formerly of Michelin two-star Coi, is preparing to launch Roseacre. And last year, Per Se alums Elijah Arizmendi and Brian Hung left New York to open the elegant tasting-menu restaurant Lucien, lured by the ingredients they’d get to serve. “A major reason we chose San Diego is the quality and diversity of the produce,” Arizmendi explains. “San Diego County has more small farms than anywhere else in the U.S., and its many microclimates allow farmers to grow an incredible range of ingredients year-round.”

Wildland’s spicy Italian sandwich.

Wildland’s spicy Italian sandwich.

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Gage Forster

Chef Travis Swikard has also been a tireless advocate for the region’s ingredients since he returned to San Diego, his hometown, and opened Mediterranean-influenced Callie in 2021. There’s no sophomore slump with his latest effort, the French Riviera–inspired Fleurette in La Jolla, where he’s serving his take on classics like leeks vinaigrette and his San Diego “Bouillabaisse” with local red sheepshead fish and spiny lobster. Its food is bright, produce-driven, and attentive in execution, while the dining room maintains a relaxed and unpretentious style of service. And Swikard sees that approach cohering into a regional style with a strong network of professionals behind it.

“It’s really nice that we are developing our own identity, not trying to be like L.A. or any other market, just highlighting what’s great about the San Diego lifestyle and ingredients,” he says. “Similar to New York, a chef community is starting to develop where chefs are supporting each other. There is a true sense of pride to be cooking here.”

Top: In La Jolla, Lucien serves ocean whitefish with tomatoes turned into concasse, sabayon, and other expressions.





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