RESPA Compliance for Lead Generators: Recent CFPB Guidance Addresses Digital Comparison Shopping Platforms

Can online lead generation be done while remaining compliant under Section 8 of the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act ("RESPA")? The answer is yes, but it is important to navigate the impermissible activities recently identified by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ("CFPB"). On February 7, 2023, the CFPB issued guidance in an advisory opinion addressing how it interprets RESPA and its implementing regulation, Regulation X, in the context of digital marketing and lead generation platforms for real estate settlement services. This guidance—the first issued by the CFPB on online lead generation—highlights several key compliance considerations for participants engaging in digital marketing of settlement services. Please join Mayer Brown lawyers Holly Bunting and Kerri Webb as they discuss the advisory opinion, how it impacts compliance under RESPA, and the questions raised by the CFPB's interpretations.