How a U.S. settlement over real-estate commissions could affect Canadian homebuyers and sellers

A substantial settlement recently announced by a U.S. group representing more than one million Realtors has real estate experts hopeful Canadian home sellers could soon get a better deal.

Last week, the U.S.-based National Association of Realtors (NAR) agreed to pay $418 million US to end legal claims from home sellers that argued the group artificially inflated real estate commissions.

The NAR, which denied any wrongdoing in the case, has also agreed to eliminate the standard six per cent sales commission and do away with other commission rules.

The landmark settlement in the U.S. is playing out at the same time as a proposed national