ST. LOUIS — Clever Real Estate is suing Houzeo Corp. alleging it published false and misleading information on its website.
Clever operates by connecting buyers and sellers with Clever-vetted real estate agents, providing its services for free to the parties involved, with compensation contingent on successful transactions, according to a complaint filed Nov. 22 in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri.
The lawsuit is against Houzeo Corp., which allegedly published false and misleading statements on its website about Clever's business practices, according to the suit.
Clever claims Houzeo made inaccurate claims, such as stating that Clever violates federal anti-trust laws and falsely claims to be free. Clever asserts that its business model is legal and transparent, with fees collected from agents upon successful closings and no kickbacks involved.
Houzeo is further accused of falsely alleging that Clever sells information to agents within its network, a claim Clever refutes by emphasizing that information is shared upfront without charge, according to the suit.
Clever claims that despite requesting Houzeo to remove these statements, it has refused.
The lawsuit seeks a declaratory judgment from the court, emphasizing the need for legal resolution due to the controversy generated by Houzeo's allegations. Clever is represented by Michael Nepple, Matthew Braunel and Brendan Bement of Thompson Coburn in St. Louis.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri case number: 4:23-cv-01495