There is a new real estate firm in town, but one of its founders is probably familiar to many in the real estate industry. Meet Landian, a real estate startup founded by Bryan Galen, Neal Batra and Josh Sitzer — yes, the same Sitzer who filed the now infamous Sitzer/Burnett commission lawsuit.
In an interview with TechCrunch, which first broke the news of Landian’s debut, Sitzer said his frustration with having to pay a 3% commission to a buyer’s agent on the sale of his Kansas City home in 2017 prompted the lawsuit.
After four years of litigation and a jury verdict that found the industry liable for colluding to artificially inflate agent commissions, NAR and the four corporate brokerage defendants have all settled Sitzer’s lawsuit and several copycat suits.
“I wouldn’t say I had expectations in the beginning, as it was a multi-year battle of ups and downs, but I had enough confidence in my position to commit to taking action,” Sitzer told TechCrunch.
Sitzer’s legal action not only resulted in financial settlements, but also business practice changes that went into effect earlier this month, the most notable being the removal of buyer broker compensation from the MLS and mandatory buyer broker agreements.
In an attempt to capitalize on the real estate industry’s new normal, Sitzer teamed up with Batra and Galen, whose startup fintech firm Zero was acquired by Avant in 2021, to found Landian.
The website, which claims it is not a brokerage, allows homebuyers to select services from real estate agents and pay for them a la carte. The company describes itself as “a platform that schedules and coordinates service contracts between homebuyers and licensed real estate agents who work for their own brokerages, as well as a software tool that helps buyers prepare their own offers.”
“Landian operates as a technology platform providing AI-driven services to facilitate real estate transactions. This distinction means that while we assist in the process of buying or selling real estate, we do not represent clients as a broker or agent would,” the company states on its FAQ page. “Our services are designed to complement your transaction efforts, offering a streamlined, efficient alternative to traditional brokerage services without providing legal or financial advice.”
The site allows users to import a listing from any real estate site and then book a home tour or prepare an offer with a licensed local agent, without owing a traditional commission. Instead, Landian utilizes a flat fee model, giving buyers the option to pay as they go for services or at the closing.
