April 16, 2026 1 min read

Escalating Housing Costs, Hidden Listings

R

A new report from the Consumer Federation of America (CFA), in collaboration with the National Urban League (NUL) examines the aftermath of the 2024 National Association of Realtors (NAR) $418 million settlement.

 Consumers initially expressed hope that the  NAR settlement would address long-standing frustrations over cost and transparency when buying and selling a home, but the report finds that Realtor commissions have not significantly fallen, first-time homebuyers continue to face broader affordability challenges, and “pocket listings,” an anti-competitive real estate practice in which homes are privately marketed to a select group of agents and buyers instead of being publicly listed, are an emerging threat to fair access and transparency in the housing market. 

The survey instrument, anonymized data, and code to replicate all figures and findings are available on the Consumer Federation of America’s GitHub

 

Our Subject Matter Experts

Related Articles

R
September 16, 2026 / Press Releases
CFA and the Coalition for FHLBank Reform Endorse Rep. Maxine Waters' Bill to Increase Affordable Housing Funding
R
September 16, 2026 / Fact Sheets
How Congress Can Unlock $600 Million More Every Year for Affordable Housing
R
September 09, 2026 / Blogs
Revising Myths about the Federal Home Loan Banks: A Close Look at Two Recent Studies on the Links Between Advance Lending and Housing Activity
R
August 18, 2026 / Blogs
Demystifying the Fixer-Upper Home: Renovation Mortgages 101