The United Nations Human Rights Office included RE/MAX Holdings on its official database of companies involved in Israeli settlement activities, with its most recent update in September 2025. RE/MAX agreed to pay $55 million to settle two class-action antitrust lawsuits alleging the company conspired to inflate buyer-agent commissions paid by home sellers.

Why should I avoid RE/MAX?

Human rights concerns, antitrust violations, and illegal kickback schemes are the main reasons. A RE/MAX-branded California franchisee was penalized by the CFPB for accepting illegal kickbacks from a mortgage lender in exchange for steering homebuyers toward that lender. RE/MAX Israel lists and sells properties in more than a dozen illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.

What are the best ethical alternatives to RE/MAX?

Independent local real estate agents work directly for you without the franchise fee structure and are not tied to a brand with an antitrust settlement record. Redfin offers a brokerage model with lower fees and transparent pricing.

RE/MAX

Flagged · Avoid

Global real estate franchise with 140,000+ agents in 110+ countries, facing steep decline after an agent-unfriendly fee restructuring drove an 80% stock collapse.

Last updated June 14, 2026

Reasons to avoid

Issues span:Human RightsAntitrustConsumer

RE/MAX Israel, operating under the global RE/MAX franchise network, lists and sells properties in more than a dozen illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. The United Nations Human Rights Office included RE/MAX Holdings on its official database of companies involved in settlement-related activities, a list it updated most recently in September 2025.ohchr.org2025-09-26
RE/MAX agreed to pay $55 million to settle two class-action antitrust lawsuits alleging the company conspired with the National Association of Realtors to inflate buyer-agent commissions paid by home sellers. As part of the settlement, RE/MAX agreed to stop mandating that sellers pay buyers' agents and dropped its requirement that agents maintain NAR membership.therealdeal.com2023-09-18
A RE/MAX-branded California franchisee was ordered by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to pay a penalty and cease the practice after being found to have accepted illegal kickbacks from a mortgage lender in exchange for steering homebuyers toward that lender. Federal law prohibits real estate agents from accepting payments for mortgage referrals because the practice inflates costs for homebuyers.consumerfinance.gov2017-08-16

Ethical alternatives

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Houwzer

Low-commission brokerage with salaried agents that charges a 1 percent listing fee instead of the standard 3 percent. It is built to keep more money with buyers and sellers rather than with inflated commissions.

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Common Questions

Is RE/MAX ethical?: The United Nations Human Rights Office included RE/MAX Holdings on its official database of companies involved in Israeli settlement activities, with its most recent update in September 2025. RE/MAX agreed to pay $55 million to settle two class-action antitrust lawsuits alleging the company conspired to inflate buyer-agent commissions paid by home sellers.
Why should I avoid RE/MAX?: Human rights concerns, antitrust violations, and illegal kickback schemes are the main reasons. A RE/MAX-branded California franchisee was penalized by the CFPB for accepting illegal kickbacks from a mortgage lender in exchange for steering homebuyers toward that lender. RE/MAX Israel lists and sells properties in more than a dozen illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
What are the best ethical alternatives to RE/MAX?: Independent local real estate agents work directly for you without the franchise fee structure and are not tied to a brand with an antitrust settlement record. Redfin offers a brokerage model with lower fees and transparent pricing.