Recently on the Marketplace Morning Report, you heard our Democracy in the Desert series.

We took you to places characterized by researchers as news deserts to see what communities

stand to lose when they're without a local news

ecosystem especially during an election year. This kind of reporting takes

resources. David Brancaccio went on a six-day reporting trip with two of

our producers grounding themselves in these communities

and meeting locals who are trying to find solutions and fill the gaps.

Every donation to Marketplace helps sustain this kind of in-depth journalism.

Please give what you can today at Marketplace.org slash donate.

What could possibly be the biggest change to real estate in a century?

I'm David Brancaccio. There's news this morning that the National Association of Realtors, of Realtors,

Nationwide, has reached a major settlement

that could upend the housing market.

Marketplace's Kimberly Adams has more.

The National Association of Realtors was facing nationwide lawsuits alleging its rules and behaviors

were keeping real estate commissions artificially high.

Under the settlement, if approved by a federal court, the group will pay

$418 million in damages over about four years and eliminate its rules around

commissions. Specifically, it would prohibit offers of broker compensation

on the NAR's multiple listing service, something that has historically kept commissions

at about 6 percent, usually split between the buyer and seller.

NAR continues to deny any wrongdoing,

...