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Compass antitrust case adds Charles Lieberman as lead plaintiff
The amended complaint seeks class action status for NYC-area renters starting 01/01/2026 and alleges StreetEasy delistings increased rents and brokerage fees.
HousingWire reports that an amended antitrust complaint in a Compass International Holdings case now names Charles Lieberman as lead plaintiff, after earlier plaintiffs voluntarily dismissed their claims.
The complaint alleges Compass delisted rental listings from StreetEasy to limit consumer choice and raise rents and broker fees. It also says Compass pushed agents to use REBNY’s “participant only” designation on its Residential Listing Service, a setting that prevents listings from being syndicated to or displayed on public-facing websites.
Lieberman is described as finding a Manhattan rental in August 2025 via StreetEasy at a monthly lease price of $4,000, with a brokers fee increasing the cost to $4,620. The complaint says he searched again in August 2026 but had to resign his lease at an elevated $4,850 after what it calls reduced access to publicly available listings.
The amended complaint seeks class action status for NYC-area renters beginning 01/01/2026, and it requests damages and injunctive relief. A Compass spokesperson quoted by the outlet said the strategy is not aimed at removing listings from any particular portal, asserting listings remain visible to all agents of REBNY’s brokerages and their clients.