RESPA Lawyer Blog
New Orleans, LA — Marx Sterbcow, Managing Attorney of the Sterbcow Law Group, LLC, is returning as a featured speaker at the National REO Brokers Association (“NRBA“) Annual Education Conference, being held April 22–25, 2026, at the Green Valley Ranch Resort & Spa in Henderson, Nevada (Las Vegas area).
At a Glance
| Speaker | Marx Sterbcow, Managing Attorney, Sterbcow Law Group, LLC |
| Session | The State of the Real Estate Brokerage Industry: A 2026 Legal, Regulatory, and Market Outlook |
| Date & Time | Thursday, April 23, 2026 — 10:00 AM to 11:15 AM PDT |
| Room | Estancia DEFG General Session Ballroom |
| Event | 2026 NRBA Annual Education Conference |
| Dates | April 22–25, 2026 |
| Venue | Green Valley Ranch Resort & Spa, Henderson, Nevada |
| Audience | NRBA member brokers, asset managers, servicers, and invited default-industry clients |
The NRBA’s private Annual Conference is widely regarded as the most sought-after event in the REO industry, drawing asset managers, servicers, vendor managers, and executives from the nation’s leading default-servicing firms. This year’s conference runs Wednesday through Saturday at Green Valley Ranch, and early bird registration closed on January 15, 2026.
Session Details — Thursday, April 23 at 10:00 AM
Mr. Sterbcow’s general session — “The State of the Real Estate Brokerage Industry: A 2026 Legal, Regulatory, and Market Outlook” — is scheduled for Thursday, April 23, 2026, from 10:00 AM to 11:15 AM in the Estancia DEFG ballroom, immediately following the conference’s Opening Remarks and Market Overview. Drawing on his practice at the intersection of federal regulation, state enforcement, industry litigation, and transactional advisory work, the session will provide attendees with a comprehensive briefing on where the real estate brokerage industry stands today and where it is headed over the next twelve to twenty-four months.
Topics to Be Covered
Mr. Sterbcow’s presentation will move from the macro forces reshaping the brokerage business down to the compliance and litigation realities that REO professionals will face in the year ahead — beginning with the commission-structure overhaul and industry consolidation story, moving through federal regulatory priorities under a shifting CFPB, and closing with state-level enforcement and litigation trends. Topics include:
- NAR Settlement aftermath and its practical implications for REO listing brokers, buyer-broker compensation, and cooperating agent agreements
- DOJ involvement in real estate commission rules and the antitrust exposure facing private trade groups, MLSs, and brokerages — including whether trade associations can continue to shield brokers from antitrust liability
- Industry consolidation, including the regulatory and MLS-governance implications of the Compass–Anywhere merger and the market-control questions raised by a combined entity
- CFPB regulatory outlook under the current administration, including the Bureau’s shifting enforcement priorities and the operational questions that shift creates for regulated parties
- RESPA enforcement trends and high-risk compliance issues in 2026, including recurring Section 8 pitfalls identified through recent federal and state examinations
- State Attorney General enforcement against affiliated business arrangements (“AfBAs”) and marketing services agreements (“MSAs”), with a focus on how several states’ AGs are reshaping the compliant-AfBA analysis under RESPA Section 8(c)(4)
- Litigation and risk-management lessons from recent federal and state RESPA cases, with takeaways for brokerages, title agencies, and lenders operating joint ventures
About the NRBA Annual Conference
The NRBA Annual Conference is a members-only event that brings together the nation’s top-producing REO brokers with the clients and asset managers who directly assign listings. Last year’s event hosted more than 40 clients from over 30 firms, and the 2026 event is expected to exceed that. Due to overwhelming demand, the Green Valley Ranch room block sold out in advance, and the NRBA has arranged overflow accommodations at the nearby Aloft hotel.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the 2026 NRBA Annual Education Conference? The 2026 NRBA Annual Education Conference is being held April 22–25, 2026, running Wednesday through Saturday.
Where is the 2026 NRBA conference being held? The conference is at the Green Valley Ranch Resort & Spa in Henderson, Nevada, in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. Overflow accommodations are available at the nearby Aloft hotel.
When is Marx Sterbcow speaking at the 2026 NRBA conference? Mr. Sterbcow’s session is scheduled for Thursday, April 23, 2026, from 10:00 AM to 11:15 AM Pacific Time in the Estancia DEFG general session ballroom.
What is Marx Sterbcow’s 2026 NRBA session about? The session, titled “The State of the Real Estate Brokerage Industry: A 2026 Legal, Regulatory, and Market Outlook,” will provide a comprehensive briefing on the legal, regulatory, and structural forces shaping the real estate brokerage industry, including the NAR Settlement aftermath, DOJ antitrust activity, the Compass–Anywhere merger, the CFPB’s shifting enforcement priorities, RESPA compliance risks, state Attorney General enforcement of affiliated business arrangements and marketing services agreements, and key litigation trends.
Who should attend the session? The session is designed for REO listing brokers, cooperating agents, asset managers, servicers, vendor managers, title agency operators, lenders operating joint ventures, and any default-industry professional whose business is affected by federal and state real estate regulation.
Is the NRBA conference open to the public? No. The NRBA Annual Conference is a private, members-only event. For information on NRBA membership, visit nrba.com.
About Marx Sterbcow
Marx Sterbcow is the Managing Attorney of the Sterbcow Law Group, LLC. He counsels real estate brokerages, title insurance agencies, mortgage lenders, banks, and joint venture operators on the regulatory, transactional, and strategic questions that shape the real estate industry — from the structuring and compliance of affiliated business arrangements and marketing services agreements, to federal and state enforcement matters, to the legal and market implications of industry consolidation. His practice regularly places him at the intersection of RESPA, CFPB, fair lending, state Attorney General, and antitrust developments that redefine how brokerages and settlement service providers operate.
Notable Representations
Mr. Sterbcow has served as counsel or participated with the legal teams in significant federal and state regulatory enforcement matters affecting the real estate settlement industry, as well as in complex commercial and antitrust litigation. Representative matters include:
- CFPB v. Townstone Financial, Inc. and Barry Sturner (N.D. Ill., No. 1:20-cv-04176) — Co-counsel for Townstone Financial and its founder in the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s first-of-its-kind redlining and Equal Credit Opportunity Act enforcement action, a matter that proceeded through the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and the federal district court’s 2025 ruling on the joint motion to vacate the stipulated final judgment. The CFPB’s decision to join Townstone in seeking vacatur of its own settlement was widely reported as unprecedented in the Bureau’s history.
- CFPB v. Rocket Homes Real Estate, JMG Holding Partners (The Jason Mitchell Group), and Jason Mitchell (E.D. Mich., No. 2:24-cv-13442) — Counsel to The Jason Mitchell Group in connection with the CFPB’s December 2024 RESPA Section 8 enforcement action, which the CFPB voluntarily dismissed with prejudice in February 2025, and in related regulatory matters.
- In re Meridian Title Corporation (CFPB Administrative Consent Order, 2017) — Lead member of the legal team representing Meridian Title in connection with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s RESPA Section 8 enforcement action addressing affiliated business arrangement disclosures.
- District of Columbia Office of the Attorney General v. Universal Title (D.C. OAG, 2024) — Lead and sole counsel for Universal Title in the District of Columbia Attorney General’s enforcement action involving title insurance joint ventures under D.C. Code § 31-5031.15.
- CamSoft Data Systems, Inc. v. Southern Electronics Supply, Inc., et al. (La. 19th Jud. Dist. Ct., No. 582,741; La. 1st Cir. Ct. App.; M.D. La.) — Co-counsel for plaintiff CamSoft Data Systems, Inc. in a long-running commercial and antitrust action arising from the New Orleans Crime Camera Project and subsequent wireless surveillance technology sales, asserting claims under the Louisiana Antitrust Act (La. R.S. 51:122 et seq.) and related state-law theories against defendants including Dell, Inc., Ciber, Inc., and MMR Constructors, Inc.
Speaking, Publications, and Industry Leadership
Mr. Sterbcow is a frequent keynote speaker and panelist at national industry events, including the Real Estate Services Providers Council (RESPRO) Annual Conference, the National Settlement Services Summit (NS3), the American Land Title Association (ALTA) Large Agent Conference, the Texas Land Title Institute, and the NRBA Annual Conference. He has been recognized as a Super Lawyer and is a former President of the Louisiana Land Title Association. His commentary on RESPA, CFPB, real estate regulatory, and industry matters is regularly featured in RESPA News, HousingWire, National Mortgage News, American Banker, and other leading industry publications. Follow his ongoing analysis at the RESPA Lawyer Blog.
Past results afford no guarantee of future results. Every case is different and must be judged on its own merits. The representations described above reflect publicly available court filings, agency orders, and published reporting.
Connect With Us at the Conference
If you will be attending the NRBA conference, the Sterbcow Law Group team would be glad to connect. Please reach out in advance to schedule a meeting, and stay tuned to the RESPA Lawyer Blog for post-conference highlights and key takeaways on the issues discussed.
For more information about the NRBA conference, visit nrba.com. To learn more about the Sterbcow Law Group’s RESPA, CFPB, and affiliated business arrangement compliance services, visit respaattorneys.com or call 877-854-2182.