Mauricio Umansky’s Pls.com Revives Antitrust Lawsuit Against Nar

The battle over private listings just escalated. The PLS.com, LLC — the now-defunct platform once used to privately market real estate listings — announced today that it has filed a federal antitrust lawsuit against the National Association of Realtors.

The PLS was founded by The Agency founder and celebrity real estate broker Mauricio Umansky. This lawsuit was first brought against NAR in 2020, but was paused last year. PLS.com refiled the suit today. Umansky is not a plaintiff in the current lawsuit.

According to a press release, the lawsuit seeks treble damages for the unlawful and anti-competitive conduct that forced PLS out of the market and deprived consumers and agents of a much-needed alternative to the outdated and monopolized MLS system.

The complaint alleges that NAR and its affiliated multiple listing services colluded to eliminate competition from PLS through the adoption and enforcement of the Clear Cooperation Policy (CCP) — a rule that mandates listings be submitted to a NAR-affiliated MLS within one business day of public marketing, effectively shutting down any viable pocket listing platforms.

The PLS had nearly 20,000 members in 2019, according to the lawsuit. The suit claims that NAR-affiliated MLSs jointly authored white papers, met behind closed doors, and orchestrated the CCP as a coordinated effort to suppress competition and that the CCP disproportionately benefits large brokerages while punishing small firms and innovative platforms.

“This lawsuit is about defending innovation and consumer choice in a market long dominated by entrenched gatekeepers,” said a spokesperson for PLS. “We created a platform that responded to growing demand for privacy, flexibility, and discretion — particularly in highly-competitive and high-profile markets — and were met with coordinated resistance from an organization with a vested interest in preserving the status quo.”

The CCP, passed by NAR in late 2019, has been the subject of intense public scrutiny, government investigations, and multiple lawsuits from agents, brokerages, and now platforms like PLS. The policy eliminated a valuable tool for consumers and agents: the ability to explore off-MLS options without coercive penalties.

“The CCP was never about cooperation—it was about control,” the spokesperson added. “The result is a marketplace that stifles innovation: Sellers lose the ability to quietly test the market, protect their privacy, or avoid the stigma of a price drop. Buyers miss out on incredible homes that never make it to public websites, especially in fast-moving markets. Agents are punished—fined, even—for doing what their clients ask, simply because it doesn’t go through NAR’s system. And ultimately, consumers pay more, because competition is blocked and innovation is shut out. That’s not how a modern, fair marketplace should work. We are proud to stand up and demand accountability.”