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EXP World Holdings Inc

For the period ended Jun 30, 2024. Filed Jul 31, 2024.

View on SEC.gov

About this filing

A company's report for each of its first three quarters. The financial statements are not audited. It shows how the business has moved since the last annual report, and what management says changed.

Jun 30, 2024 · Filed Jul 31, 2024

AGNT$3.10-20.7%Stored close · as of Nov 6, 2026

What changed in Risk Factors?

Read the current filing

Previous report: 10-Q

Period ended 2024-03-31; filed 2024-05-01.

0001558370-24-006375

Item 1A. Risk Factors

Current report: 10-Q

Period ended 2024-06-30; filed 2024-07-31.

0001558370-24-010473

Item 1A. Risk Factors

The baseline is this issuer’s latest earlier reporting period of the same form that was filed before the current report. A previous 10-Q is a different quarter, not a year-over-year comparison. Amendments are excluded.

Compared 6 previous paragraphs and 17 current paragraphs.

2 unchanged; 3 reworded; 12 added; 0 removed; 1 previous and 0 current paragraphs rearranged.

Tables are not compared: 1 previous and 1 current tables excluded. Dates, whitespace, punctuation and numbering changes are ignored; changes to financial figures remain significant.

A changed paragraph is not evidence that risk increased or decreased. An unchanged paragraph does not establish that risk stayed the same.

Added paragraphs (12)

Current report

Risks Related to our Real Estate Business

Current report

The real estate market may be severely impacted by industry changes as the result of certain class action lawsuits, settlements, or government investigations.

Current report

The real estate industry faces significant pressure from private lawsuits and investigations by the Department of Justice (the “DOJ”) into antitrust issues.

Current report

In April 2019, the National Association of REALTORS® (“NAR”) and certain brokerages and franchisors (including Realogy Holdings Corp., HomeServices of America, Inc. RE/MAX, and Keller Williams Realty, Inc.) were named as defendants in a class action complaint alleging a conspiracy to violate federal antitrust laws by, among other things, requiring residential property sellers in Missouri to pay inflated commission fees to buyer brokers (the “NAR Class Action”). On October 31, 2023, a jury found NAR and various of its co-defendants liable and awarded plaintiffs nearly $1.8 billion in damages (all defendants have since settled, some of which remain subject to final court approval). Class action suits raising similar claims are already pending in this and other jurisdictions and the outcome of the NAR Class Action may result in additional such actions being filed. The Company has been named as one of several defendants in similar class action suits, as discussed further in our 2023 Annual Report,Note 12 – Commitments and ContingenciesandNote 13 – Subsequent Events to these unaudited consolidated financial statements.

Current report

Defending against class action litigation is costly, may divert time and money away from our operations, and imposes a significant burden on management and employees. Also, the results of any such litigation or investigation cannot be predicted with certainty, and any negative outcome could result in payments of substantial monetary damages or fines, and/or undesirable changes to our operations or business practices, and accordingly, our business, financial condition, or results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.

Current report

On March 15, 2024, NAR entered a settlement agreement to resolve on a class wide basis the claims against NAR in the NAR Class Action. In addition to a monetary payment of $418 million, NAR agreed to change certain business practices, including changes to cooperative compensation and buyer agreements. The NAR settlement agreement: (1) prohibits NAR and REALTOR® MLSs from requiring that listing brokers or sellers make offers of compensation to buyer brokers or other

Current report

buyer representatives; (2) prohibits NAR, REALTOR® MLSs and MLS participants from making an offer of compensation on the MLS; and (3) requires all REALTOR® MLS participants to enter into a written buyer agreement specifying compensation before taking a buyer on tour. The NAR settlement received preliminary court approval on April 23, 2024.

Current report

These revised NAR rules and practices have caused and may require additional changes to our business model, including changes to agent and broker compensation and how we meet home buyers. Without mandated commission sharing, for example, we may see the introduction of hourly or a la carte services. Or, if buyers now compensate brokers, they may be more likely to contact listing agents directly, which could drive down dual agent broker commissions. Home lending rules and norms do not currently allow buyers to include buyer’s agent compensation in the balance of a home loan, which may impair the ability of homebuyers to pay their agent fees when purchasing a home. The amended rules and regulations also require us to get a buyer agreement signed before we take a home buyer on a first tour. This requirement may dissuade buyers from hiring the Company, thereby reducing the fees we receive from our agents. These and other shifts in the model for agent and broker compensation could significantly change the brokerage landscape overall and may adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

Current report

In addition to the NAR Class Action and various similar private actions already pending, beginning in 2018, the DOJ began investigating NAR for violations of the federal antitrust laws. The DOJ and NAR appeared to reach a resolution in November 2020, resulting in the filing of a Complaint and Proposed Consent Judgment pursuant to which NAR agreed to adopt certain rule changes, such as increased disclosure of commission offers. The DOJ has since sought to continue its investigation of NAR, and on April 5, 2024 a federal appeals court decided that the DOJ could reopen its investigation. It is uncertain what effect, if any, the resumption of the DOJ’s investigation could have on the larger real estate industry, including any further settlement that may result therefrom.

Current report

Risks Related to Our Stock

Current report

Because we can issue additional shares of common stock and because we issue stock under equity incentive plans, our stockholdersmay experience dilution in the future.

Current report

We are authorized to issue up to 900,000,000 shares of common stock, of which 183,606,708 shares were issued and 154,669,037 shares were outstanding as of December 31, 2023. Additionally, the Company maintains a 2015 Equity Incentive Planand a 2024 Equity Incentive Plan from which employees, agents, brokers and certain service providers of the Company and its affiliates can receive awards of the Company’s common stock. As of December 31 June 30, 2024, there were 88,596,220 shares registered and authorized under the 2015 Equity Incentive Plan, of which 1,782,99120,760,284 are available for future issuance. As of June 30, 2024, there were 150,000,000 shares authorized and 36,000,000 shares registered under the 2024 Equity Incentive Plan, of which 150,000,000 are available for future issuance, subject to registration. The Company will cease issuing shares under the 2015 Equity Incentive Plan once it switches to the 2024 Equity Incentive Plan, which is anticipated to occur during the fiscal quarter ended September 30, 2024. Our Board of Directors has the authority to cause us to issue additional shares of common stock without consent of any of our stockholders, subject to applicable Nasdaq listing rules. Consequently, current stockholders may experience more dilution in their ownership of our common stock in the future.
Reworded paragraphs (3)

Previous wording

The business, financial condition and operating results of the Company can be affected by a number of risks, whether currently known or unknown. For a discussion of our potential risks and uncertainties, please see in Part I, Item 1A Risk Factors of the 2023 Annual Report. Additional risks not currently known to us or that we currently deem to be immaterial also may materially adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations in future periods. Any of these factors, in whole or in part, could materially and adversely affect the Company’s business, financial condition, operating results and stock price. Except for the risk factors disclosed in Part I, Item 1A of 2023 Annual Report, which are hereby

Current wording

The business, financial condition and operating results of the Company can be affected by a number of risks, whether currently known or unknown. For a discussion of our potential risks and uncertainties, please see in Part I, Item 1A Risk Factors of the 2023 Annual Report. Additional risks not currently known to us or that we currently deem to be immaterial also may materially adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations in future periods. Any of these factors, in whole or in part, could materially and adversely affect the Company’s business, financial condition, operating results and stock price. Except for the risk factors disclosed in Part I, Item 1A of 2023 Annual Report, which are hereby incorporated by reference into this Part II, Item 1A of this Quarterly Report, the risk factor related to legal and regulatory matters and the modified risk factor related to our stock set forth below, there have been no material changes to the Company’s risk factors as disclosed in the 2023 Annual Report. Modifications to the risk factors below are designated byunderlined text and removals are designated bystricken text.

Previous wording

Adverse outcomes in legal and regulatory actions against other companies, brokers, and agents in the residential and commercial real estate industry may adversely impact the financial condition of the Company and our real estate brokers and agents when those matters relate to business practices shared by the Company, our real estate brokers and agents, or our industry at large. Such matters may include, without limitation, RESPA, Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991 and state consumer protection law, antitrust and anticompetition, and worker classification claims. Additionally, if plaintiffs or regulatory bodies are successful in such actions, this may increase the likelihood that similar claims are made against the Company and/or our real estate brokers and agents which claims could result in significant liability and be adverse to our financial results if we or our brokers and agents are unable to distinguish or defend our business practices.

Current wording

Adverse outcomes in legal and regulatory actions against other companies, brokers, and agents in the residential and commercial real estate industry may adversely impact the financial condition of the Company and our real estate brokers and agents when those matters relate to business practices shared by the Company, our real estate brokers and agents, or our industry at large. Such matters may include, without limitation, RESPA, Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991 and state consumer protection law, antitrust and anticompetition, and worker classification claims. Additionally, if plaintiffs or regulatory bodies are successful in such actions, this may increase the likelihood that similar claims are made against the Company and/or our real estate brokers and agents which claims could result in significant liability and be adverse to our financial results if we or ourbrokers and agents are unable to distinguish or defend our business practices.

Previous wording

As an example, in the matter ofBurnett v. National Association of Realtors (U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri), a federal jury found NAR and certain other remaining brokerage defendants liable for $1.8 billion in damages, which verdict was appealed on October 31, 2023. That same day, the Company, along with other brokerage and non-brokerage defendants, were named as defendants inGibson v. National Association of Realtors, alleging a similar fact pattern and antitrust violations. Since that time, the Company has been named as a defendant in additional putative class action lawsuits alleging similar fact patterns and antitrust violations. NAR and certain brokerage defendants have settled certain of these lawsuits (which lawsuits remain subject to final court approval), which include both monetary and non-monetary settlement terms. Those settlement terms may impact business practices within the industry which could adversely impact the Company’s business, results of operations, and financial condition.

Current wording

As an example, in the matter ofBurnett v. National Association of Realtors (U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri), a federal jury found NAR and certain other remaining brokerage defendants liable for $1.8 billion in damages related to allegations of breach of federal and state antitrust laws, which matter remains subject to final court approval. Additionally, certain other brokerage defendants settled with the plaintiffs, including both monetary and non-monetary settlement terms, which also remain subject to final court approval. Since that time, the Company has been named in multiple putative class action complaints; all defendants have since settled (some of which remain subject to final court approval). That same day, the Company, along with other brokerage and non-brokerage defendants, were named as defendants inGibson v. National Association of Realtors, alleging a similar fact pattern and antitrust violations. Since that time, the Company has been named as a defendant in additional putative class action lawsuits alleging similar fact patterns and antitrust violations. NAR and certain brokerage defendants have settled certain of these lawsuits, which include both monetary and non-monetary settlement terms. Those settlement terms may impact business practices within the industry which could adversely impact the Company’s business, results of operations, and financial condition.
Rearranged previous paragraphs (1)

Previous report — wording carried elsewhere

incorporated by reference into this Part II, Item 1A of this Quarterly Report, and the modified risk factor set forth below, there have been no material changes to the Company’s risk factors as disclosed in the 2023 Annual Report.