A South Florida real estate agent is suing over unsolicited text messages sent through Realtor.com, and is seeking class-action status of the suit.
Weston agent Courtney Silverman of the Keyes Company filed suit in the Fort Lauderdale division of the U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida against the National Association of Realtors and News Corp. subsidiary Move Inc.
The complaint alleges that the companies “engaged in systematic text-message-advertising campaigns, without regard for the law or the privacy rights of others” and that they violated the Telephone Protection Consumer Act, according to Inman. NAR owns the domain Realtor.com, and Move Inc. operates the website.
Silverman replied “Stop” to the messages, receiving replies that she was unsubscribed. But the messages continued, totaling more than 200, Silverman’s attorney Jordan Shaw told Inman. She’s seeking statutory damages and a permanent injunction that would ban both companies from using automatic systems that call and text numbers without prior consent.
Earlier this year, two real estate agents filed suit against Move Inc., claiming Realtor.com provided “useless” buyer leads despite, in some cases, charging hundreds of dollars each month. That suit also sought class-action status. [Inman] – Katherine Kallergis