Company: HOUS
Filing Date: 2025-02-25
Form Type: 10-K
Source: 0001398987-25-000020
Chunk: 153

Company: Anywhere Real Estate Inc.
Filing Date: 2025-02-25
Form: 10-K
Item: Item 1
Chunk 153
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 a material adverse effect on our reputation and results of operations."

The Telephone Consumer Protection Act. The TCPA restricts certain types of telemarketing calls and text messaging, and the use of automatic telephone dialing systems and artificial or prerecorded voice messages. The TCPA also established a national Do-Not-Call registry. The TCPA defines autodialing broadly and requires express written consent for certain communications to cellphones. Certain states have also adopted, or may in the future adopt, state equivalents of the TCPA. We are vulnerable to claims made by class action consumers alleging that we are liable for contacts made by franchisees and/or independent contractor real estate agents.

Franchise Regulation. In the U.S., the sale of franchises is regulated by various state laws, as well as by federal law under the jurisdiction of the FTC. The FTC requires that franchisors make extensive disclosure to prospective franchisees but does not require registration. A number of states require registration and/or disclosure in connection with franchise offers and sales. In addition, multiple states and U.S. territories have "franchise relationship laws" or "business opportunity laws" that limit the ability of franchisors to terminate franchise agreements (including mandated notice or cure periods), to discriminate unfairly among franchisees, or to withhold consent to the renewal or transfer of these agreements. Failure to comply with these laws could result in civil liability to the franchisors. While our franchising operations have not been materially adversely affected by such existing regulation, we cannot predict the effect of any future federal or state legislation or regulation. Internationally, many countries have similar laws affecting franchising.

State Brokerage Laws. Our company owned real estate brokerage business is also subject to numerous federal, state and local laws and regulations that contain general standards for and limitations on the conduct of real estate brokers and sales 

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agents, including those relating to the licensing of brokers and sales agents, fiduciary, and agency and statutory duties, consumer disclosure obligations, administration of trust funds, collection of commissions, restrictions on information sharing with affiliates, fair housing standards and advertising and consumer disclosures. Under state law, our company owned real estate brokers have certain duties to supervise affiliated sales agents and are responsible for the conduct of their brokerage businesses. 

Our company owned and franchised brokerages (and independent sales agents affiliated with such brokerages) are also required to comply with state and local laws related to dual agency (such as where the same brokerage represents both the buyer and seller of a home), and increased regulation of dual agency representation may restrict