Arbitration

Before you file an Arbitration Request, please review the following:

All arbitration filings must be accompanied by a $500.00 filing fee. This fee is required before the Grievance Committee will review any arbitration request. If you would like to take advantage of the association’s free mediation services, click here to file a mediation only request. If you choose to file for mediation only instead of arbitration, any filing deadline for arbitration shall be suspended during any mediation conference period, beginning with the date of a mediation filing with CAR, and ending on the date the mediation conference is concluded, declined, or terminated.
If this matter is a commission dispute between two different brokerages (commonly a disagreement over the procuring cause of a transaction and subsequent cooperative commission), then any arbitration filing must be filed Designated Managing Broker to Designated Managing Broker. While an individual agent within an office cannot invoke arbitration against another brokerage or Designated Managing Broker of a separate firm for payment of a commission, they can be named as a person with vested financial interest in the outcome of the arbitration, and they have the right to be present throught the proceedings and to particpate but are not considered to be a party of the arbitration.
If an individual agent has an internal commission dispute with their own office over commissions owed to them, that individual agent may file an arbitration request against their Designated Managing Broker; however, the Grievance Committee may classify this type of arbitration filing as voluntary. An individual agent with a commission dispute involving their own office should consult their independent contractor agreement for further dispute resolution terms and options.
All arbitration filings are reviewed by CAR’s Grievance Committee. The Grievance Committee looks to determine whether the arbitration request was properly filed and whether the matter at issue is related to a real estate transaction and is properly arbitrable.
If the Grievance Committee forwards your request for an arbitration hearing, CAR requires a mandatory mediation session prior to an arbitration hearing. Mediation allows for an informal conversation and an opportunity for each side to understand the other parties’ position. Therefore, once the Grievance Committee has reviewed your arbitration request and if they have determined that an arbitrable matter exists, a mediation conference will be scheduled. Often an agreement is reached during mediation which is acceptable to both sides. If the mediation conference is not successful, an arbitration hearing will then be scheduled. As we have realized a 90% success rate for mediations, we hope that we can help you avoid arbitration!
If the Grievance Committee dismisses your arbitration request or if you disagree with their classification of the arbitration (mandatory or voluntary), you have 20 days to appeal that decision to the Board of Directors of the Chicago Association of REALTORS®.
The $500 filing fee will be returned to the complainant if the Grievance Committee dismisses the arbitration request, the complainant withdraws their arbitration request prior to the conclusion of any arbitration hearing, the parties resolve their dispute through any informal dispute resolution such as mediation, or settle the matter in any other way prior to the conclusion of any arbitration hearing.

Click Get Started to begin your filing. You may save your progress at any time by clicking Save and Continue Later on any page. You will have 30 days to complete your submission once you begin.

Arbitration Request(Required)

Select the scenario that describes your arbitration request.

If you are an individual agent with a commission dispute against another brokerage firm, you must contact your Designated Managing Broker to file a mediation or arbitration request. An individual agent cannot invoke mediation or arbitration against a different firm or Designated Managing Broker.

I am the Designated Managing Broker of my firm filing an arbitration request against another Designated Managing Broker of a different firm.

I am an Individual Agent filing an arbitration request against my current or former Designated Managing Broker.

I am a client filing an arbitration request against the Designated Managing Broker of the firm I have a contractual relationship with.

I am the Designated Managing Broker of my firm filing an arbitration request against a client my firm has a contractual relationship with.

Complainant Information

This is your information as the person filing the arbitration request

Name(Required)

First Last

Role in Firm(Required)

Role(Required)

Brokerage Firm(Required)

Brokerage Address(Required)

Street Address City State ZIP Code

Phone(Required)

Email(Required)

This email address will receive a confirmation of this request.
Please note that all communication pertaining to this mediation request will be sent to the email address you provide here. You are solely responsible for ensuring such emails are not blocked and/or that your spam filters are properly configured to receive emails from email domain @chicagorealtor.com

Enter Email Confirm Email

Would you like to add an additional REALTOR® Principal complainant?(Required)

This should not be the individual agent(s) involved in the transaction. You will enter their name(s) later on as agents with a vested financial interest in the outcome of the arbitration.
An agent with vested interest has the right to be present throughout the proceedings and to participate but they are not considered to be parties.

Yes

No

Name – Additional Complainant 1(Required)

First Last

Brokerage Firm – Additional Complainant 1(Required)

Brokerage Address – Additional Complainant 1(Required)

Street Address City State ZIP Code

Phone – Additional Complainant 1(Required)

Email – Additional Complainant 1(Required)

Enter Email Confirm Email

Would you like to add your Firm as a named party to the arbitration request?(Required)

While the obligation to particpate in arbitration contemplated in Article 17 includes the obligation of REALTORS® principals to cause their firms to arbitrate and be bound by any award, an arbitration filing can include the complainant firm and/or the respondent firm as a named party to increase the chances of collecting any award.

Yes

No

Named Complainant Brokerage Firm(Required)

Restate your brokerage firm that is a named complainant in your arbitration request.

Named Complainant Brokerage Firm Address(Required)

Street Address City State ZIP Code

Respondent Information

A dispute arising out of the real estate business as defined by Article 17 of the Code of Ethics exists between me (or my firm) and the following:

Respondent REALTOR® Principal(Required)

List the person you wish to name as the respondent to this arbitration. This is most often the Designated Managing Broker of the firm.

First Last

Respondent's Brokerage Firm(Required)

Respondent Brokerage Address(Required)

Street Address City State ZIP Code

Respondent Phone

If known

Respondent Email

If known

Would you like add the Respondent's Firm as a named party to the arbitration request?(Required)

NOTE: Arbitration is generally conducted between REALTOR® principals or between firms comprised of REALTOR® principals. Naming a REALTOR® princpal as a respondent enables the complainant to know who will participate in the hearing from the respondent’s firm; naming a Firm in addition may increase the likelihood of collecting any resulting award.

Yes

No

Named Respondent Firm Name(Required)

Restate the respondent’s brokerage firm that you would like as a named party in your arbitration request.

Named Respondent Firm Address(Required)

Street Address City State ZIP Code

Would you like to add an additional REALTOR® Principal Respondent to your arbitration request?(Required)

This could be another REALTOR® Principal with the same firm as the first Respondent, or you may name a REALTOR® Principal of a separate firm.

Yes

No

REALTOR® Principal – Respondent 2(Required)

This is most often the Designated Managing Broker of the firm.

First Last

Brokerage Firm – Respondent 2(Required)

Brokerage Address – Respondent 2(Required)

Street Address City State ZIP Code

Phone – Respondent 2

If known

Email – Respondent 2

If known

Would you like add the Respondent 2's Firm as a named party to the arbitration request?(Required)

NOTE: Arbitration is generally conducted between REALTOR® principals or between firms comprised of REALTOR® principals. Naming a REALTOR® princpal as a respondent enables the complainant to know who will participate in the hearing from the respondent’s firm; naming a Firm in addition may increase the likelihood of collecting any resulting award.

Yes

No

Named Respondent 2 Firm Name(Required)

Named Respondent 2 Firm Address(Required)

Street Address City State ZIP Code

Information on Dispute

There is due, unpaid and owing to me (or I retain) from the above-named Respondents the sum of:

Amount in Dispute(Required)

Enter full amount in dispute. Must be in the form of a dollar amount, not a percentage. Example: $5,850.00

The disputed funds are currently held by:(Required)

The following REALTOR® non-principals (or REALTOR Associate® non-principals) affiliated with my firm has a financial interest in the outcome of the proceeding and may be called as a witness, and has the right to be present throughout the hearing:

Name of Agent(s) with Vested Financial Interest(Required)

This can be the individual agent(s) in your firm involved in the transaction. Please list first and last name(s) of the individual(s) that have a vested financial interest in the outcome of the arbitration. Do not enter a team name.

If you as the Designated Managing Broker are the only one with a vested financial interest in the outcome, you may input your name again here.

Date(s) alleged dispute took place(Required)

Are the circumstances giving rise to this arbitration request the subject of civil litigation?(Required)

Yes

No

Additional Details(Required)

Provide additional information on the litigation. For example date filed, parties of litigation, etc…

Address of the property in the transaction giving rise to this arbitration request:

Subject Property(Required)

Provide Unit Number, if applicable

Street Address, Including Unit Number City State ZIP Code

The sale/lease closed on:(Required)

My claim is predicated upon the following statement and incorporated by reference into this arbitration request.(Required)

Provide a written narrative/statement detailing the dispute.

If you would prefer to upload a written statement instead, please write See attached and you can upload a statement and/or other documents on the following page.

Upload any files or attachments you deem relevant to your arbitration request. If you provided your written narrative or statement earlier and are not uploading any documents, you may proceed to the next page.

If you did not supply a written narrative or statement to support your request on the previous page, please upload it here.

Examples of files or attachments you may upload

Narrative/Timeline/Statement
Offers of Compensation
Emails
Contracts
Screenshots
Text Messages
Showing Records

File

Drop files here or

Max. file size: 128 MB.

Before you submit your arbitration request, please read the following:

All arbitration filings are reviewed by CAR's Grievance Committee. The Grievance Committee looks to determine whether the arbitration request was properly filed and whether the matter at issue is related to a real estate transaction and is properly arbitrable.
If the Grievance Committee forwards your request for an arbitration hearing, CAR requires a mandatory mediation session prior to an arbitration hearing. Mediation allows for an informal conversation and an opportunity for each side to understand the other parties’ position. Therefore, once the Grievance Committee has reviewed your arbitration request and if they have determined that an arbitrable matter exists, a mediation conference will be scheduled. Often an agreement is reached during mediation which is acceptable to both sides. If the mediation conference is not successful, an arbitration hearing will then be scheduled.
If the Grievance Committee dismisses your arbitration request or if you disagree with their classification of the arbitration (mandatory or voluntary), you have 20 days to appeal that decision to the Board of Directors of the Chicago Association of REALTORS®.
The $500.00 filing fee will be returned to the complainant if the Grievance Committee dismisses the arbitration request, the complainant withdraws their arbitration request prior to the conclusion of any arbitration hearing, the parties resolve their dispute through any informal dispute resolution such as mediation, or settle the matter in any other way prior to the conclusion of any arbitration hearing.

Electronic Signature(Required)

By typing your name below, you are signing this document electronically. You agree that your electronic signature is the legal equivalent of your manual signature on this document.

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