Lawsuit Accuses Rocket Mortgage Of Steering Borrowers To Higher-Cost Loans
The class-action claims Rocket Mortgage’s referral practices violated federal law and limited consumer choice
A coalition of homebuyers has filed a class-action lawsuit against Rocket Companies Inc. and affiliated entities 一 including Rocket Mortgage LLC, Amrock Holdings LLC, and Rocket Homes Real Estate LLC 一 alleging illegal practices that steered borrowers into disadvantageous mortgages and inflated home-buying costs.
The complaint was filed January 26, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan by plaintiffs represented by consumer-protection firm Hagens Berman.
The suit claims that Rocket and its affiliates engaged in a systematic scheme to “steer” homebuyers toward Rocket Mortgage’s financing products, even when other lenders could have offered more favorable terms.
National Mortgage Professional reached out to Rocket for comments on the suit: “We categorically disagree and will dispute the allegations that Rocket, Redfin or any of the named defendants are doing anything illegal," said a Rocket Companies spokesperson. "The claims in this case are a complete retread of the case that the CFPB filed and was quickly dismissed. Rocket is proud to help homebuyers navigate complex real estate partnerships. We are confident that we will be vindicated once facts are presented.”
According to the complaint, Rocket funneled real-estate leads to participating agents and required them to direct clients to Rocket’s mortgage business in exchange for referral opportunities, effectively pressuring agents to prioritize Rocket’s loans over potentially lower-cost alternatives. Plaintiffs argue this conduct violated agents’ fiduciary duties and harmed consumers nationwide.
“Everyday families rely on the laws governing our nation’s real estate market for fairness and transparency, and we believe Rocket has failed to play by the rules,” said Steve W. Berman, managing partner and co-founder of Hagens Berman. “We believe at least hundreds of thousands of consumers have been duped by Rocket’s tricks, and judging by its year-over-year revenue, its scheme has worked.”
A key component of the alleged scheme centered on Rocket Homes’ referral network, which, before the company’s 2025 acquisition of Redfin, connected prospective buyers with third-party agents. Under the lawsuit, agents paid a 35% referral fee to Rocket Homes but were expected to steer borrowers toward Rocket Mortgage to retain leads, limiting consumer choice and inflating total housing costs.
The complaint includes claims under the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) and seeks treble damages, disgorgement, and injunctive relief to halt the challenged practices. Rocket has not publicly responded to the allegations. The case may encompass individuals who financed homes with Rocket or its predecessor, Quicken Loans, since January 1, 2019.