As of December 2023, two lawsuits have been filed against eXp Realty and its parent company (eXp World Holdings), eXp Realty’s CEO, and two eXp agents.
The complaint alleges that two eXp agents, Michael Bjorkman and David Golden, drugged and sexually assaulted female co-workers.
In an investigative report from the New York Times, a “yearslong pattern of predatory behavior” was exhibited by at least two former eXp agents.
Despite complaints, eXp reportedly ignored these allegations for years.
Sexual Assault Lawsuits Filed Against eXp Realty
eXp Realty and company higher-ups have been named in multiple sexual assault lawsuits, which claim that some of its male agents engaged in predatory behavior towards female colleagues and clients.
The lawsuits against eXp Realty highlight systemic issues within the company, accusing it of failing to adequately address and prevent instances of sexual misconduct, thereby exposing its agents and clients to potential harm.
February 2023 Lawsuit Filed Against eXp
The first lawsuit, filed in February 2023, accuses Bjorkman and Golden of drugging and sexually assaulting women at real estate industry events.
The plaintiffs allege that these agents used their influence in the real estate industry to coerce women into sexual acts, violating the federal sex trafficking statute.
According to the lawsuit, the two former eXp agents would:
“…entice women to travel in interstate commerce, recruit enthusiastic real estate agents with the promise of career advancement and coaching, and use their considerable influence in the real estate industry on these other real estate agents behalf, knowing that they would use means of force, fraud or coercion to cause these women to engage in a sex act.”
The lawsuit highlights eXp’s Revenue Share program, where agents earn a share of commissions generated by their recruits, pointing out that Bjorkman and Golden were in the “upline” of the plaintiffs.
In March 2023, an amended complaint added eXp Realty CEO Glenn Sanford as a defendant in this lawsuit, accused of knowing about the actions of Bjorkman and Golden and failing to intervene.
December 2023 Lawsuit Filed Against eXp
Despite Sanford’s claim that the issue is resolved, a second lawsuit was filed in December 2023, alleging similar experiences of being drugged and assaulted by Golden and Bjorkman.
The second lawsuit references the criminal history of Michael Bjorkman, who was arrested in Miami-Dade County in March 2021 on two counts of sexual assault perpetrated on one of the victims involved in the civil lawsuit:
“On March 8, 2021, DEFENDANT BJORKMAN was arrested in Miami-Dade County for two (2) counts of sexual assault of JANE DOE 3.
In conjunction with that arrest, the Las Vegas Police Department issued a Declaration of Warrant/Summons, Event Number 200900070704 (“Warrant”), a 27-page report, which lays out its in-depth criminal investigation describing multiple occasions of multiple women being drugged and assaulted by DEFENDANT BJORKMAN while attending eXp REALTY Recruiting Events.
As described in the Warrant, there is a long history of multiple women accusing DEFENDANT BJORKMAN of both drugging and sexually assaulting women dating back to 2000.”
Bjorkman and Golden no longer work for eXp Realty, being removed in 2020 and 2023 respectively.
Sexual assault lawsuits filed against eXp Realty are in the United States District Court for the Central District of California.
If other sexual assault allegations arise against eXp Realty, they will also likely be filed in California Federal Court.
Sexual Assault, Misconduct, and Harassment in the Real Estate Industry: A Pervasive Issue
The legal pressure on eXp Realty and eXp World Holdings is unfortunately part of a wider issue in the real estate industry.
Female real estate agents, who constitute the majority of professionals in the industry, face significant risks, including sexual harassment and physical violence.
Despite forming the larger portion of the real estate workforce, female agents often navigate an industry with minimal protections, leaving them vulnerable to predatory behavior from clients and other parties in isolated settings.
Over the years, numerous large real estate companies, investment firms, and associations have faced sexual assault allegations.
Another recent example of sexual assault in the real estate industry includes the National Association of Realtors, whose President , Kenny Parcell, resigned in August 2023 amid complaints of sexual harassment and assault from current and former employees.
The troubling reality for female real estate agents extends beyond safety concerns, as they also grapple with significant financial disparities — in a profession where they form the majority, real estate brokers face the largest gender pay gap, with men earning 60% more than women, highlighting both safety and economic inequalities in the industry.
