NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(Unless otherwise noted, all amounts are in millions)
(Unaudited)
1. BASIS OF PRESENTATION
The Company changed its name from Realogy Holdings Corp. to Anywhere Real Estate Inc. effective June 9, 2022. Anywhere Real Estate Inc. ("Anywhere" or the "Company") is a holding company for its consolidated subsidiaries including Anywhere Intermediate Holdings LLC ("Anywhere Intermediate") and Anywhere Real Estate Group LLC ("Anywhere Group") and its consolidated subsidiaries. Anywhere, through its subsidiaries, is a global provider of residential real estate services. Neither Anywhere, the indirect parent of Anywhere Group, nor Anywhere Intermediate, the direct parent company of Anywhere Group, conducts any operations other than with respect to its respective direct or indirect ownership of Anywhere Group. As a result, the consolidated financial positions, results of operations, comprehensive income (loss) and cash flows of Anywhere, Anywhere Intermediate and Anywhere Group are the same.
The accompanying Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements include the financial statements of Anywhere and Anywhere Group. Anywhere's only asset is its investment in the common stock of Anywhere Intermediate, and Anywhere Intermediate's only asset is its investment in Anywhere Group. Anywhere's only obligations are its guarantees of certain borrowings and certain franchise obligations of Anywhere Group. All expenses incurred by Anywhere and Anywhere Intermediate are for the benefit of Anywhere Group and have been reflected in Anywhere Group's Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.
The Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America and with Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Interim results may not be indicative of full year performance because of seasonal and short-term variations. The Company has eliminated all material intercompany transactions and balances between entities consolidated in these financial statements. In presenting the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements, management makes estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported and the related disclosures. Estimates, by their nature, are based on judgment and available information. Accordingly, actual results could differ materially from those estimates.
In management's opinion, the accompanying unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements reflect all normal and recurring adjustments necessary for a fair statement of Anywhere and Anywhere Group's financial position as of September 30, 2022 and the results of operations and comprehensive income for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021 and cash flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021. The Consolidated Balance Sheet at December 31, 2021 was derived from audited annual financial statements but does not contain all of the footnote disclosures from the annual financial statements. The Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements should be read in conjunction with the audited Consolidated Financial Statements and notes thereto included in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021.
The Company reports its operations in three business segments:
•Anywhere Brands ("Franchise Group"), formerly referred to as Realogy Franchise Group—franchises the Century 21®, Coldwell Banker®, Coldwell Banker Commercial®, Corcoran®, ERA®, Sotheby's International Realty® and Better Homes and Gardens® Real Estate brand names. This segment also includes the Company's lead generation activities through Anywhere Leads Group ("Leads Group") and global relocation services operation through Cartus® Relocation Services ("Cartus").
•Anywhere Advisors ("Owned Brokerage Group"), formerly referred to as Realogy Brokerage Group—operates a full-service real estate brokerage business principally under the Coldwell Banker®, Corcoran® and Sotheby’s International Realty® brand names in many of the largest metropolitan areas in the U.S. This segment also includes the Company's share of equity earnings or losses for the RealSure and Real Estate Auction minority-owned joint ventures.
•Anywhere Integrated Services ("Title Group"), formerly referred to as Realogy Title Group—provides full-service title, escrow and settlement services to consumers, real estate companies, corporations and financial institutions primarily in support of residential real estate transactions. This segment also includes the Company's share of equity earnings or losses for Guaranteed Rate Affinity, the Company's minority-owned mortgage origination joint venture with Guaranteed Rate, Inc., and the Company's minority-owned Title Insurance Underwriter Joint Venture.
Sale of the Title Insurance Underwriter
On March 29, 2022, the Company sold its title insurance underwriter, Title Resources Guaranty Company (the "Title Underwriter") (previously reported in the Title Group reportable segment), to an affiliate of Centerbridge for $210 million (prior to expenses and tax) and a 30% equity stake in the form of common units in a title insurance underwriter joint venture that owns the Title Underwriter (the "Title Insurance Underwriter Joint Venture"). Upon closing of the transaction, the Company received $208 million of cash and recorded a $90 million investment related to its 30% equity interest in the Title Insurance Underwriter Joint Venture. As a result of the transaction, the Company disposed of $166 million of net assets, including $152 million of cash held as statutory reserves by the Title Underwriter and $32 million of goodwill, and recognized a gain of $131 million, net of fees, recorded in the Other income, net line on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations. As this transaction did not represent a strategic shift that will have a major effect on the Company’s operations or financial results, the Title Underwriter's operations have not been classified as discontinued operations.
In April 2022, the Company sold a portion of its interest in the Title Insurance Underwriter Joint Venture to a third party, reducing the Company's equity stake from 30% to 26%. The sale resulted in a gain of $4 million recorded in the Other income, net line on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations. Refer Note 5, "Equity Method Investments", for additional information.
Fair Value Measurements
The following tables present the Company’s assets and liabilities that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis and are categorized using the fair value hierarchy. The fair value hierarchy has three levels based on the reliability of the inputs used to determine fair value.
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Level Input: | | Input Definitions: |
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Level I | | Inputs are unadjusted, quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities in active markets at the measurement date. |
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Level II | | Inputs other than quoted prices included in Level I that are observable for the asset or liability through corroboration with market data at the measurement date. |
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Level III | | Unobservable inputs that reflect management’s best estimate of what market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability at the measurement date. |
The availability of observable inputs can vary from asset to asset and is affected by a wide variety of factors, including, for example, the type of asset, whether the asset is new and not yet established in the marketplace, and other characteristics particular to the transaction. To the extent that valuation is based on models or inputs that are less observable or unobservable in the market, the determination of fair value requires more judgment. Accordingly, the degree of judgment exercised by the Company in determining fair value is greatest for instruments categorized in Level III. In certain cases, the inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, for disclosure purposes, the level in the fair value hierarchy within which the fair value measurement in its entirety falls is determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety.
The fair value of financial instruments is generally determined by reference to quoted market values. In cases where quoted market prices are not available, fair value is based on estimates using present value or other valuation techniques, as appropriate. The fair value of interest rate swaps is determined based upon a discounted cash flow approach.
The Company measures financial instruments at fair value on a recurring basis and recognizes transfers within the fair value hierarchy at the end of the fiscal quarter in which the change in circumstances that caused the transfer occurred.
The following table summarizes fair value measurements by level at September 30, 2022 for assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis:
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| Level I | | Level II | | Level III | | Total |
Deferred compensation plan assets (included in other non-current assets) | $ | 1 | | | $ | — | | | $ | — | | | $ | 1 | |
Interest rate swaps (included in other current assets) | — | | | 1 | | | — | | | 1 | |
Contingent consideration for acquisitions (included in accrued expenses and other current liabilities and other non-current liabilities) | — | | | — | | | 14 | | | 14 | |
The following table summarizes fair value measurements by level at December 31, 2021 for assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis:
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| Level I | | Level II | | Level III | | Total |
Deferred compensation plan assets (included in other non-current assets) | $ | 1 | | | $ | — | | | $ | — | | | $ | 1 | |
Interest rate swaps (included in other current and non-current liabilities) | — | | | 46 | | | — | | | 46 | |
Contingent consideration for acquisitions (included in accrued expenses and other current liabilities and other non-current liabilities) | — | | | — | | | 9 | | | 9 | |
The fair value of the Company’s contingent consideration for acquisitions is measured using a probability weighted-average discount rate to estimate future cash flows based upon the likelihood of achieving future operating results for individual acquisitions. These assumptions are deemed to be unobservable inputs and as such the Company’s contingent consideration is classified within Level III of the valuation hierarchy. The Company reassesses the fair value of the contingent consideration liabilities on a quarterly basis.
The following table presents changes in Level III financial liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis:
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| | Level III |
Fair value of contingent consideration at December 31, 2021 | | $ | 9 | |
Additions: contingent consideration related to acquisitions completed during the period | | 12 | |
Reductions: payments of contingent consideration | | (4) | |
Changes in fair value (reflected in general and administrative expenses) | | (3) | |
Fair value of contingent consideration at September 30, 2022 | | $ | 14 | |
The following table summarizes the principal amount of the Company’s indebtedness compared to the estimated fair value, primarily determined by quoted market values, at:
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| September 30, 2022 | | December 31, 2021 |
Debt | Principal Amount | | Estimated Fair Value (a) | | Principal Amount | | Estimated Fair Value (a) |
Revolving Credit Facility | $ | — | | | $ | — | | | $ | — | | | $ | — | |
Extended Term Loan A | 225 | | | 219 | | | 232 | | | 231 | |
7.625% Senior Secured Second Lien Notes | — | | | — | | | 550 | | | 583 | |
4.875% Senior Notes | 340 | | | 332 | | | 407 | | | 418 | |
9.375% Senior Notes | — | | | — | | | 550 | | | 596 | |
5.75% Senior Notes | 900 | | | 648 | | | 900 | | | 923 | |
5.25% Senior Notes | 1,000 | | | 683 | | | — | | | — | |
0.25% Exchangeable Senior Notes | 403 | | | 283 | | | 403 | | | 399 | |
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(a)The fair value of the Company's indebtedness is categorized as Level II.
Income Taxes
The Company's provision for income taxes in interim periods is computed by applying its estimated annual effective tax rate against the income before income taxes for the period. In addition, non-recurring or discrete items are recorded in the period in which they occur. The provision for income taxes was an expense of $8 million and $48 million for the three months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively, and an expense of $52 million and $125 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
Derivative Instruments
The Company records derivatives and hedging activities on the balance sheet at their respective fair values. During September 2022, the Company terminated $550 million of its interest rate swaps. As of September 30, 2022, the Company had interest rate swaps with an aggregate notional value of $450 million, which have a commencement date of November 2017 and an expiration date of November 2022. The Company has not elected to utilize hedge accounting for these interest rate swaps; therefore, any change in fair value is recorded in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations.
The fair value of derivative instruments was as follows:
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Not Designated as Hedging Instruments | | Balance Sheet Location | | September 30, 2022 | | December 31, 2021 |
Interest rate swap contracts | | Other current assets | | $ | 1 | | | $ | — | |
| Other current and non-current liabilities | | — | | | 46 | |
The effect of derivative instruments on earnings was as follows:
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Derivative Instruments Not Designated as Hedging Instruments | | Location of Gain Recognized for Derivative Instruments | | Gain Recognized on Derivatives |
| Three Months Ended September 30, | | Nine Months Ended September 30, |
| 2022 | | 2021 | | 2022 | | 2021 |
Interest rate swap contracts | | Interest expense | | $ | (5) | | | $ | (1) | | | $ | (40) | | | $ | (8) | |
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Revenue
Revenue is recognized upon the transfer of control of promised services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration the Company expects to receive in exchange for those services in accordance with the revenue accounting standard. The Company's revenue is disaggregated by major revenue categories on our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and further disaggregated by business segment as follows:
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| Three Months Ended September 30, |
| Franchise Group | | Owned Brokerage Group | | Title Group | | Corporate and Other | | Total Company |
| 2022 | | 2021 | | 2022 | | 2021 | | 2022 | | 2021 | | 2022 | | 2021 | | 2022 | | 2021 |
Gross commission income (a) | $ | — | | | $ | — | | | $ | 1,469 | | | $ | 1,689 | | | $ | — | | | $ | — | | | $ | — | | | $ | — | | | $ | 1,469 | | | $ | 1,689 | |
Service revenue (b) | 75 | | | 66 | | | 5 | | | 7 | | | 109 | | | 242 | | | — | | | — | | | 189 | | | 315 | |
Franchise fees (c) | 208 | | | 247 | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | (94) | | | (108) | | | 114 | | | 139 | |
Other (d) | 23 | | | 29 | | | 12 | | | 9 | | | 4 | | | 8 | | | (3) | | | (3) | | | 36 | | | 43 | |
Net revenues | $ | 306 | | | $ | 342 | | | $ | 1,486 | | | $ | 1,705 | | | $ | 113 | | | $ | 250 | | | $ | (97) | | | $ | (111) | | | $ | 1,808 | | | $ | 2,186 | |
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| Nine Months Ended September 30, |
| Franchise Group | | Owned Brokerage Group | | Title Group | | Corporate and Other | | Total Company |
| 2022 | | 2021 | | 2022 | | 2021 | | 2022 | | 2021 | | 2022 | | 2021 | | 2022 | | 2021 |
Gross commission income (a) | $ | — | | | $ | — | | | $ | 4,473 | | | $ | 4,616 | | | $ | — | | | $ | — | | | $ | — | | | $ | — | | | $ | 4,473 | | | $ | 4,616 | |
Service revenue (b) | 204 | | | 173 | | | 17 | | | 22 | | | 431 | | | 683 | | | — | | | — | | | 652 | | | 878 | |
Franchise fees (c) | 625 | | | 687 | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | (287) | | | (296) | | | 338 | | | 391 | |
Other (d) | 83 | | | 83 | | | 35 | | | 29 | | | 16 | | | 23 | | | (12) | | | (11) | | | 122 | | | 124 | |
Net revenues | $ | 912 | | | $ | 943 | | | $ | 4,525 | | | $ | 4,667 | | | $ | 447 | | | $ | 706 | | | $ | (299) | | | $ | (307) | | | $ | 5,585 | | | $ | 6,009 | |
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(a)Gross commission income at Owned Brokerage Group is recognized at a point in time at the closing of a homesale transaction.
(b)Service revenue primarily consists of title and escrow fees at Title Group and are recognized at a point in time at the closing of a homesale transaction. Service revenue at Franchise Group includes relocation fees, which are recognized as revenue when or as the related performance obligation is satisfied dependent on the type of service performed, and fees related to leads and related services, which are recognized at a point in time at the closing of a homesale transaction or at the completion of the related service.
(c)Franchise fees at Franchise Group primarily include domestic royalties which are recognized at a point in time when the underlying franchisee revenue is earned (upon close of the homesale transaction).
(d)Other revenue is comprised of brand marketing funds received from franchisees at Franchise Group and other miscellaneous revenues across all of the business segments.
The following table shows the change in the Company's contract liabilities (deferred revenue) related to revenue contracts by reportable segment for the period:
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| Beginning Balance at January 1, 2022 | | Additions during the period | | Recognized as Revenue during the period | | Ending Balance at September 30, 2022 |
Franchise Group: | | | | | | | |
Deferred area development fees (a) | $ | 41 | | | $ | 2 | | | $ | (3) | | | $ | 40 | |
Deferred brand marketing fund fees (b) | 25 | | | 70 | | | (68) | | | 27 | |
Deferred outsourcing management fees (c) | 4 | | | 46 | | | (45) | | | 5 | |
Other deferred income related to revenue contracts | 9 | | | 31 | | | (27) | | | 13 | |
Total Franchise Group | 79 | | | 149 | | | (143) | | | 85 | |
Owned Brokerage Group: | | | | | | | |
Advanced commissions related to development business (d) | 11 | | | 2 | | | (2) | | | 11 | |
Other deferred income related to revenue contracts | 3 | | | 3 | | | (2) | | | 4 | |
Total Owned Brokerage Group | 14 | | | 5 | | | (4) | | | 15 | |
Total | $ | 93 | | | $ | 154 | | | $ | (147) | | | $ | 100 | |
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(a)The Company collects initial area development fees ("ADF") for international territory transactions, which are recorded as deferred revenue when received and recognized into franchise revenue over the average 25 year life of the related franchise agreement as consideration for the right to access and benefit from Anywhere’s brands. In the event an ADF agreement is terminated prior to the end of its term, the unamortized deferred revenue balance will be recognized into revenue immediately upon termination.
(b)Revenues recognized include intercompany marketing fees paid by Owned Brokerage Group.
(c)The Company earns revenues from outsourcing management fees charged to clients that may cover several of the various relocation services according to the clients' specific needs. Outsourcing management fees are recorded as deferred revenue when billed (usually at the start of the relocation) and are recognized as revenue over the average time period required to complete the transferee's move, or a phase of the move that the fee covers, which is typically 3 to 6 months depending on the move type.
(d)New development closings generally have a development period of between 18 and 24 months from contracted date to closing.
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts
The Company estimates the allowance necessary to provide for uncollectible accounts receivable. The estimate is based on historical experience, combined with a review of current conditions and forecasts of future losses, and includes specific accounts for which payment has become unlikely. The process by which the Company calculates the allowance begins in the individual business units where specific problem accounts are identified and reserved primarily based upon the age profile of the receivables and specific payment issues, combined with reasonable and supportable forecasts of future losses.
Supplemental Cash Flow Information
Significant non-cash transactions during the nine months ended September 30, 2022 included the establishment of a $90 million investment related to the Company's initial equity interest in the Title Insurance Underwriter Joint Venture in the first quarter of 2022. Significant non-cash transactions also included finance lease additions of $9 million and $4 million during the nine months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively, which resulted in non-cash additions to property and equipment, net and other non-current liabilities.
Leases
The Company's lease obligations as of September 30, 2022 have not changed materially from the amounts reported in the 2021 Form 10-K.
Restructuring
Beginning in the third quarter of 2022, the Company commenced the implementation of a plan to reduce its office footprint costs, centralize certain aspects of its operational support structure and drive changes in how it serves its affiliated independent sales agents as well as consumers from a marketing and technology perspective. During the third quarter of 2022, the Company incurred $10 million of costs related to the 2022 restructuring program including $3 million of facility related costs and $7 million of personnel related costs, primarily at Owned Brokerage Group. While the Company currently expects the estimated total cost of the program to be approximately $15 million, it is still evaluating the scope of the program.
During the third quarter of 2022, the Company incurred $6 million of costs compared to $4 million during the third quarter of 2021 related to the Company's prior restructuring plans. During the nine months ended September 30, 2022, the Company incurred $13 million of costs compared to $14 million during the same period of 2021 related to the Company's prior restructuring programs. The Company expects the estimated total cost of its prior restructuring programs to be approximately $166 million, with $142 million incurred to date and $24 million remaining primarily related to future expenses as a result of reducing the leased-office footprints.
Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements
The Company considers the applicability and impact of all Accounting Standards Updates ("ASUs"). Recently issued standards were assessed and determined to be either not applicable or are expected to have minimal impact on our consolidated financial position or results of operations.
Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements
On January 1, 2022, the Company adopted ASU 2020-06, Accounting for Convertible Instruments and Contracts in an Entity’s Own Equity, which simplifies the accounting for instruments with characteristics of liabilities and equity, including convertible debt. ASU 2020-06 reduces the number of accounting models for convertible debt instruments and convertible preferred stock resulting in fewer embedded conversion features being separately recognized from the host contract and the interest rate of more convertible debt instruments being closer to the coupon interest rate, as compared with prior guidance. In addition, ASU 2020-06 changes the diluted earnings per share calculation for instruments that may be settled in cash or shares and for convertible instruments requiring the use of the if-converted method. ASU 2020-06 is effective for reporting periods beginning on or after December 15, 2021 and permits the use of either the modified retrospective or fully retrospective method of transition.
The Company adopted ASU 2020-06 on January 1, 2022 using the modified retrospective method. In accordance with the transition guidance, the Company applied the new guidance to its Exchangeable Senior Notes that were outstanding as of January 1, 2022 with the cumulative effect of adoption recognized as an adjustment to the opening balance of Accumulated deficit. Upon adoption, the Company re-combined the liability and equity components associated with the Exchangeable Senior Notes into single liability and derecognized the unamortized debt discount and related equity component. This resulted in an increase to Long-term debt of $65 million, a reduction to Additional paid-in capital of $53 million, net of taxes, and a reduction to Deferred tax liabilities of $17 million. The Company recorded a cumulative effect of adoption adjustment of $5 million, net of taxes, as a reduction to Accumulated deficit on January 1, 2022 related to the reversal of cumulative interest expense recognized for the amortization of the debt discount on its Exchangeable Senior Notes since issuance.
The cumulative effect of adoption on the Company's consolidated balance sheets as of January 1, 2022 is summarized below:
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| Balance as of December 31, 2021 | | Impact of the adoption of ASU 2020-06 | | Balance as of January 1, 2022 after the adoption of ASU 2020-06 |
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY | | | | | |
Long-term debt | $ | 2,940 | | | $ | 65 | | | $ | 3,005 | |
Deferred income taxes | 353 | | | (17) | | | 336 | |
Total liabilities | 5,018 | | | 48 | | | 5,066 | |
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Equity: | | | | | |
Additional paid-in capital | 4,947 | | | (53) | | | 4,894 | |
Accumulated deficit | (2,712) | | | 5 | | | (2,707) | |
Total stockholders' equity | 2,186 | | | (48) | | | 2,138 | |
Total equity | 2,192 | | | (48) | | | 2,144 | |
Total liabilities and equity | $ | 7,210 | | | $ | — | | | $ | 7,210 | |
Furthermore, upon adoption, the Company is required to use the "if converted" method when calculating the dilutive impact of convertible debt on earnings per share, however this change did not have a financial impact upon adoption as the Company's Exchangeable Senior Notes have been antidilutive since issuance.
2. GOODWILL AND INTANGIBLE ASSETS
Goodwill
Goodwill by reporting unit and changes in the carrying amount are as follows:
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| Franchise Group | | Owned Brokerage Group | | Title Group | | Total Company |
Balance at December 31, 2021 | $ | 2,506 | | | $ | 259 | | | $ | 158 | | | $ | 2,923 | |
Goodwill acquired (a) | — | | | 20 | | | 5 | | | 25 | |
Goodwill reduction for sale of a business (b) | — | | | — | | | (32) | | | (32) | |
Balance at September 30, 2022 | $ | 2,506 | | | $ | 279 | | | $ | 131 | | | $ | 2,916 | |
| | | | | | | |
Accumulated impairment losses (c) | $ | 1,447 | | | $ | 808 | | | $ | 324 | | | $ | 2,579 | |
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(a)Goodwill acquired during the nine months ended September 30, 2022 relates to the acquisition of four real estate brokerage operations and two title and settlement operations.
(b)Goodwill reduction relates to the sale of the Title Underwriter during the first quarter of 2022 (see Note 1, "Basis of Presentation", for a description of the transaction).
(c)Includes impairment charges which reduced goodwill by $540 million during 2020, $253 million during 2019, $1,279 million during 2008 and $507 million during 2007.
Brokerage Acquisitions
The Company acquired four real estate brokerage operations through Owned Brokerage Group, for aggregate cash consideration of $16 million and established $10 million of contingent consideration. These acquisitions resulted in goodwill of $20 million, other intangibles of $6 million, other assets of $26 million and other liabilities of $26 million.
None of the acquisitions were significant to the Company’s results of operations, financial position or cash flows individually or in the aggregate.
Intangible Assets
Intangible assets are as follows: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| As of September 30, 2022 | | As of December 31, 2021 |
| Gross Carrying Amount | | Accumulated Amortization | | Net Carrying Amount | | Gross Carrying Amount | | Accumulated Amortization | | Net Carrying Amount |
Amortizable—Franchise agreements (a) | $ | 2,010 | | | $ | 1,039 | | | $ | 971 | | | $ | 2,010 | | | $ | 989 | | | $ | 1,021 | |
Indefinite life—Trademarks (b) | $ | 687 | | | | | $ | 687 | | | $ | 687 | | | | | $ | 687 | |
Other Intangibles | | | | | | | | | | | |
Amortizable—License agreements (c) | $ | 45 | | | $ | 15 | | | $ | 30 | | | $ | 45 | | | $ | 14 | | | $ | 31 | |
Amortizable—Customer relationships (d) | 456 | | | 360 | | | 96 | | | 456 | | | 345 | | | 111 | |
Indefinite life—Title plant shares (e) | 28 | | | | | 28 | | | 25 | | | | | 25 | |
Amortizable—Other (f) | 11 | | | 9 | | | 2 | | | 16 | | | 12 | | | 4 | |
Total Other Intangibles | $ | 540 | | | $ | 384 | | | $ | 156 | | | $ | 542 | | | $ | 371 | | | $ | 171 | |
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(a)Generally amortized over a period of 30 years.
(b)Primarily related to real estate franchise brands, title and relocation tradenames which are expected to generate future cash flows for an indefinite period of time.
(c)Relates to the Sotheby’s International Realty® and Better Homes and Gardens® Real Estate agreements which are being amortized over 50 years (the contractual term of the license agreements).
(d)Relates to the customer relationships at Franchise Group, Title Group and Owned Brokerage Group. These relationships are being amortized over a period of 7 to 20 years.
(e)Ownership in a title plant is required to transact title insurance in certain states. The Company expects to generate future cash flows for an indefinite period of time.
(f)Consists of covenants not to compete which are amortized over their contract lives and other intangibles which are generally amortized over periods ranging from 5 to 10 years.
Intangible asset amortization expense is as follows:
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| Three Months Ended September 30, | | Nine Months Ended September 30, |
| 2022 | | 2021 | | 2022 | | 2021 |
Franchise agreements | $ | 17 | | | $ | 16 | | | $ | 50 | | | $ | 50 | |
License agreements | 1 | | | 1 | | | 1 | | | 1 | |
Customer relationships | 6 | | | 5 | | | 16 | | | 16 | |
Other | 1 | | | 1 | | | 7 | | | 2 | |
Total | $ | 25 | | | $ | 23 | | | $ | 74 | | | $ | 69 | |
Based on the Company’s amortizable intangible assets as of September 30, 2022, the Company expects related amortization expense for the remainder of 2022, the four succeeding years and thereafter to be approximately $23 million, $90 million, $89 million, $89 million, $89 million and $719 million, respectively.
3. ACCRUED EXPENSES AND OTHER CURRENT LIABILITIES
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities consisted of:
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| September 30, 2022 | | December 31, 2021 |
Accrued payroll and related employee costs | $ | 140 | | | $ | 284 | |
Advances from clients | 11 | | | 31 | |
Accrued volume incentives | 37 | | | 60 | |
Accrued commissions | 61 | | | 49 | |
Restructuring accruals | 14 | | | 10 | |
Deferred income | 68 | | | 59 | |
Accrued interest | 42 | | | 42 | |
Current portion of finance lease liabilities | 11 | | | 11 | |
Due to former parent | 20 | | | 19 | |
Other | 127 | | | 101 | |
Total accrued expenses and other current liabilities | $ | 531 | | | $ | 666 | |
4. SHORT AND LONG-TERM DEBT
Total indebtedness is as follows: | | | | | | | | | | | |
| September 30, 2022 | | December 31, 2021 |
Revolving Credit Facility | $ | — | | | $ | — | |
Extended Term Loan A | 224 | | | 231 | |
7.625% Senior Secured Second Lien Notes | — | | | 542 | |
4.875% Senior Notes | 340 | | | 406 | |
9.375% Senior Notes | — | | | 545 | |
5.75% Senior Notes | 899 | | | 898 | |
5.25% Senior Notes | 984 | | | — | |
0.25% Exchangeable Senior Notes | 393 | | | 328 | |
Total Short-Term & Long-Term Debt | $ | 2,840 | | | $ | 2,950 | |
Securitization Obligations: | | | |
Apple Ridge Funding LLC | $ | 169 | | | $ | 116 | |
Cartus Financing Limited | — | | | 2 | |
Total Securitization Obligations | $ | 169 | | | $ | 118 | |
Indebtedness Table
As of September 30, 2022, the Company’s borrowing arrangements were as follows:
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Interest Rate | | Expiration Date | | Principal Amount | | Unamortized Discount (Premium) and Debt Issuance Costs | | Net Amount |
Revolving Credit Facility (1) | (2) | | July 2027 (3) | | $ | — | | | $ * | | $ | — | |
Extended Term Loan A | (4) (6) | | February 2025 (5) | | 225 | | 1 | | | 224 |
Senior Notes | 4.875% | | June 2023 | | 340 | | | — | | | 340 | |
Senior Notes | 5.75% | | January 2029 | | 900 | | | 1 | | | 899 | |
Senior Notes (7) | 5.25% | | April 2030 | | 1,000 | | | 16 | | | 984 | |
Exchangeable Senior Notes (8) | 0.25% | | June 2026 | | 403 | | | 10 | | | 393 | |
Total Short-Term & Long-Term Debt | $ | 2,868 | | | $ | 28 | | | $ | 2,840 | |
Securitization obligations: (9) | | | | | | | | | |
Apple Ridge Funding LLC | | June 2023 | | $ | 169 | | | $ * | | $ | 169 | |
_______________
*The debt issuance costs related to our Revolving Credit Facility and securitization obligations are classified as a deferred financing asset within other assets.
(1)The Revolving Credit Facility has an available capacity of $1.1 billion and as of September 30, 2022, there were no outstanding borrowings under the Revolving Credit Facility and $42 million of outstanding undrawn letters of credit. On November 1, 2022, the Company had no outstanding borrowings under the Revolving Credit Facility and $42 million of outstanding undrawn letters of credit.
(2)Interest rates with respect to revolving loans under the Revolving Credit Facility at September 30, 2022 are based on a term Secured Overnight Financing Rate ("SOFR")-based rate including a 10 basis point credit spread adjustment plus an additional margin. The additional margin is subject to adjustment based on the then current senior secured leverage ratio. Based on the previous quarter's senior secured leverage ratio, the margin was 1.75% for the three months ended September 30, 2022.
(3)The maturity date of the Revolving Credit Facility may spring forward to a date prior to July 2027 as follows: (i) if on or before March 2, 2023, the 4.875% Senior Notes have not been extended, refinanced or replaced to have a maturity date after October 26, 2027 (or are not otherwise discharged, defeased or repaid by March 2, 2023), the maturity date of the Revolving Credit Facility will be March 2, 2023; (ii) if on or before March 16, 2026, the 0.25% Exchangeable Senior Notes have not been extended, refinanced or replaced to have a maturity date after October 26, 2027 (or are not otherwise discharged, defeased or repaid by March 16, 2026), the maturity date of the Revolving Credit Facility will be March 16, 2026; and (iii) if on or before February 8, 2025, the “term A loans” under the Term Loan A Agreement have not been extended, refinanced or replaced to have a maturity date after October 26, 2027 (or are not otherwise repaid by February 8, 2025), the maturity date of the Revolving Credit Facility will be February 8, 2025.
(4)Interest rates with respect to outstanding borrowings under the Extended Term Loan A at September 30, 2022 are based on, at the Company's option, (a) adjusted London Interbank Offering Rate ("LIBOR") plus an additional margin or (b) JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A.'s prime rate ("ABR") plus an additional margin, in each case subject to adjustment based on the then current senior secured leverage ratio. Based on the previous quarter's senior secured leverage ratio, the LIBOR margin was 1.75% and the ABR margin was 0.75% for the three months ended September 30, 2022.
(5)The maturity date of the Extended Term Loan A may spring forward to March 2, 2023 if on or before March 2, 2023, the 4.875% Senior Notes have not been extended, refinanced or replaced to have a maturity date after May 10, 2025 (or are not otherwise discharged, defeased or repaid by March 2, 2023).
(6)The Extended Term Loan A has quarterly amortization payments equal to a percentage per quarter of the original principal amount of $237 million, as follows: 0.625% per quarter from June 30, 2021 to March 31, 2022; 1.25% per quarter from June 30, 2022 to March 31, 2023; 1.875% per quarter from June 30, 2023 to March 31, 2024; and 2.50% per quarter for periods ending on or after June 30, 2024, with the balance of the Extended Term Loan A due at maturity on February 8, 2025.
(7)In the first quarter of 2022, the Company issued $1 billion aggregate principal amount of 5.25% Senior Notes due 2030 and used net proceeds, together with cash on hand, to redeem in full both the outstanding 9.375% Senior Notes due 2027 and the 7.625% Senior Secured Second Lien Notes due 2025. See below under the header "5.25% Senior Notes Issuance and Redemption of 9.375% Senior Notes and 7.625% Senior Secured Second Lien Notes" for a description of these transactions.
(8)See below under the header "Exchangeable Senior Notes" for additional information and Note 1, "Basis of Presentation—Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements", related to the January 1, 2022 adoption of the new standard on "Accounting for Convertible Instruments and Contracts in an Entity’s Own Equity".
(9)Anywhere Group currently has secured obligations through Apple Ridge Funding LLC under a securitization program which expires in June 2023. As of September 30, 2022, the Company had $200 million of borrowing capacity under the Apple Ridge Funding LLC securitization program with $169 million being utilized leaving $31 million of available capacity. Available capacity
is subject to maintaining sufficient relocation related assets to collateralize these securitization obligations. Certain of the funds that Anywhere Group receives from relocation receivables and related assets are required to be utilized to repay securitization obligations. These obligations are collateralized by $228 million and $132 million of underlying relocation receivables and other related relocation assets at September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively. Substantially all relocation related assets are realized in less than twelve months from the transaction date. Accordingly, all of Anywhere Group's securitization obligations are classified as current in the accompanying Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. Interest incurred in connection with borrowings under these facilities amounted to $2 million and $1 million for the three months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively, as well as $4 million and $3 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively. This interest is recorded within net revenues in the accompanying Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations as related borrowings are utilized to fund Anywhere Group's relocation operations where interest is generally earned on such assets. These securitization obligations represent floating rate debt for which the average weighted interest rate was 3.7% and 3.2% for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively. Anywhere Group, through a special purpose entity known as Cartus Financing Limited, had agreements providing for a revolving loan facility and a working capital facility which expired on September 30, 2022.
Maturities Table
As of September 30, 2022, the combined aggregate amount of maturities for long-term borrowings for the remainder of 2022 and each of the next four years is as follows:
| | | | | | | | |
Year | | Amount |
Remaining 2022 (a) | | $ | 3 | |
2023 (b) | | 356 | |
2024 | | 22 | |
2025 | | 184 | |
2026 | | 403 | |
_______________
(a)Remaining 2022 includes amortization payments for the Extended Term Loan A. The current portion of long-term debt of $354 million shown on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets consists of $340 million in principal amount of 4.875% Senior Notes due June 2023 and four quarters of amortization payments for the Extended Term Loan A. There were no outstanding borrowings under the Revolving Credit Facility as of September 30, 2022, however any amounts outstanding would be classified on the balance sheet as current due to the revolving nature and terms and conditions of the facilities.
(b)Includes $340 million in principal amount of 4.875% Senior Notes due June 2023.
Repurchase of 4.875% Senior Notes
During the nine months ended September 30, 2022, the Company used cash on hand to repurchase $67 million in principal amount of its 4.875% Senior Notes in open market purchases approximately at par value plus accrued interest to the repurchase date. On October 18, 2022, the Company issued a notice of redemption to redeem on November 17, 2022 all of the $340 million of its outstanding 4.875% Senior Notes (See Note 10, "Subsequent Events" for additional information).
5.25% Senior Notes Issuance and Redemption of 9.375% Senior Notes and 7.625% Senior Secured Second Lien Notes
On January 10, 2022, the Company issued $1 billion aggregate principal amount of 5.25% Senior Notes due 2030. On February 4, 2022, the Company used the net proceeds from the issuance, together with cash on hand, to redeem in full both the $550 million aggregate principal amount of 9.375% Senior Notes and the $550 million aggregate principal amount of 7.625% Senior Secured Second Lien Notes, each at a redemption price of 100% plus the applicable "make whole" premium, together with accrued interest to the redemption date on both such notes. The 5.25% Senior Notes are unsecured senior obligations of Anywhere Group, mature on April 15, 2030 and bear interest at a rate of 5.25% per annum. Interest on the 5.25% Senior Notes will be payable semiannually to holders of record at the close of business on April 1 or October 1, immediately preceding the interest payment date on April 15 and October 15 of each year, commencing April 15, 2022.
The 5.25% Senior Notes are jointly and severally guaranteed by each of Anywhere Group's existing and future U.S. subsidiaries that is a guarantor under its Senior Secured Credit Facility and Term Loan A Facility or that guarantees certain other indebtedness in the future (other than the Co-Issuer), subject to certain exceptions, and by Anywhere on an unsecured senior subordinated basis. The indenture governing the 5.25% Senior Notes contains various covenants that limit Anywhere Group and its restricted subsidiaries’ ability to take certain actions and are materially consistent with the covenants included in the indenture governing the 5.75% Senior Notes.
In particular, under the 5.25% Senior Notes and 5.75% Senior Notes,
•the cumulative credit basket is not available to repurchase shares to the extent the consolidated leverage ratio is
equal to or greater than 4.0 to 1.0 on a pro forma basis giving effect to such repurchase;
•the cumulative credit basket for which restricted payments may otherwise be available is equal to 50% of Consolidated Net Income (as defined in such indenture) for the period (taken as one accounting period) from January 1, 2019 to the end of the most recently ended fiscal quarter for which internal financial statements are available at the time of any such restricted payment;
•the consolidated leverage ratio must be less than 3.0 to 1.0 to use the unlimited general restricted payment basket; and
•a restricted payment basket is available for up to $45 million of dividends per calendar year (with any actual dividends deducted from the available cumulative credit basket).
The consolidated leverage ratio is measured by dividing Anywhere Group's total net debt (excluding securitizations) by the trailing twelve-month EBITDA. EBITDA, as defined in the applicable indentures governing the Unsecured Notes, is substantially similar to EBITDA calculated on a Pro Forma Basis, as those terms are defined in the Senior Secured Credit Agreement. Net debt under the indenture governing the 5.25% Senior Notes and 5.75% Senior Notes is Anywhere Group's total indebtedness (excluding securitizations) less (i) its cash and cash equivalents in excess of restricted cash and (ii) a $200 million seasonality adjustment permitted when measuring the ratio on a date during the period of March 1 to May 31.
Exchangeable Senior Notes
In June 2021, Anywhere Group issued an aggregate principal amount of $403 million of 0.25% Exchangeable Senior Notes due 2026. The Company used a portion of the net proceeds from this offering to pay the cost of the exchangeable note hedge transactions described below (with such cost partially offset by the proceeds to the Company from the sale of the warrants pursuant to the warrant transactions described below).
The Exchangeable Senior Notes are unsecured senior obligations of Anywhere Group that mature on June 15, 2026. Interest on the Exchangeable Senior Notes is payable each year semiannually on June 15 and December 15.
The Exchangeable Senior Notes are guaranteed on an unsecured senior basis by each domestic subsidiary of Anywhere Group that is a guarantor under the Senior Secured Credit Facility, Term Loan A Facility and Anywhere Group's outstanding debt securities and are guaranteed by Anywhere on an unsecured senior subordinated basis.
Before March 15, 2026, noteholders will have the right to exchange their Exchangeable Senior Notes upon the occurrence of certain events described in the indenture governing the notes. On or after March 15, 2026, noteholders may exchange their Exchangeable Senior Notes at any time at their election until the close of business on the second scheduled trading day immediately before the maturity date of the notes.
Upon exchange, Anywhere Group will pay cash up to the aggregate principal amount of the Exchangeable Senior Notes to be exchanged and pay or deliver, as the case may be, cash, shares of the Company’s common stock or a combination of cash and shares of the Company’s common stock, at Anywhere Group's election, in respect of the remainder, if any, of its exchange obligation in excess of the aggregate principal amount of the Exchangeable Senior Notes being exchanged.
The initial exchange rate for Exchangeable Senior Notes is 40.8397 shares of the Company’s common stock per $1,000 principal amount of notes (which represents an initial exchange price of approximately $24.49 per share of the Company’s common stock). The exchange rate and exchange price of the Exchangeable Senior Notes are subject to customary adjustments upon the occurrence of certain events. In addition, if a “Make-Whole Fundamental Change” (as defined in the indenture governing the Exchangeable Senior Notes) occurs, then the exchange rate of the Exchangeable Senior Notes will, in certain circumstances, be increased for a specified period of time. Initially, a maximum of approximately 23,013,139 shares of the Company’s common stock may be issued upon the exchange of the Exchangeable Senior Notes, based on the initial maximum exchange rate of 57.1755 shares of the Company’s common stock per $1,000 principal amount of notes, which is subject to customary anti-dilution adjustment provisions.
The Exchangeable Senior Notes will be redeemable, in whole or in part (subject to a partial redemption limitation described in the indenture governing the notes), at Anywhere Group's option at any time, and from time to time, on or after June 20, 2024 and on or before the 30th scheduled trading day immediately before the maturity date, at a cash redemption price equal to the principal amount of the Exchangeable Senior Notes to be redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to, but excluding, the redemption date, but only if the last reported sale price per share of the Company’s common stock exceeds 130% of the exchange price on (1) each of at least 20 trading days, whether or not consecutive, during the 30 consecutive trading days ending on, and including, the trading day immediately before the date it sends the related
redemption notice; and (2) the trading day immediately before the date it sends such notice. In addition, calling any Exchangeable Senior Notes for redemption will constitute a Make-Whole Fundamental Change with respect to that note, in which case the exchange rate applicable to the exchange of that note will be increased in certain circumstances if it is exchanged with an exchange date occurring during the period from, and including, the date Anywhere Group sends the redemption notice to, and including, the second business day immediately before the related redemption date.
If certain corporate events that constitute a “Fundamental Change” (as defined in the indenture governing the Exchangeable Senior Notes) of the Company occur, then noteholders may require Anywhere Group to repurchase their Exchangeable Senior Notes at a cash repurchase price equal to the principal amount of the notes to be repurchased, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to, but excluding, the fundamental change repurchase date. The definition of Fundamental Change includes, among other things, certain business combination transactions involving the Company and certain de-listing events with respect to the Company’s common stock.
The indenture governing the Exchangeable Senior Notes also provides for events of default which, if any of them occurs, would permit or require the principal of and accrued interest on the Exchangeable Senior Notes to become or to be declared due and payable.
Under the accounting standards applicable at the time of issuance, exchangeable debt instruments that may be settled in cash were required to be separated into liability and equity components. The allocation to the liability component was based on the fair value of a similar instrument that does not contain an equity conversion option. Based on this debt-to-equity ratio, debt issuance costs are then allocated to the liability and equity components in a similar manner. Accordingly, at issuance on June 2, 2021, the Company allocated $319 million to the debt liability and $53 million to additional paid in capital. The difference between the principal amount of the Exchangeable Senior Notes and the liability component, inclusive of issuance costs, represented the debt discount, which the Company amortized to interest expense over the term of the Exchangeable Senior Notes using an effective interest rate of 4.375%. As a result, the Company recognized non-cash interest expense of $8 million related to the Exchangeable Senior Notes during 2021.
Upon the adoption of ASU 2020-06 on January 1, 2022, the Company was required to account for its Exchangeable Senior Notes as a single liability resulting in the recombination of the debt liability and equity components. As a result, the Company derecognized the unamortized debt discount and related equity component associated with its Exchangeable Senior Notes resulting in an increase to Long-term debt of $65 million, a reduction to Additional paid-in capital of $53 million, net of taxes, and a reduction to Deferred tax liabilities of $17 million. The Company recorded a cumulative effect of adoption adjustment of $5 million, net of taxes, as a reduction to Accumulated deficit on January 1, 2022 related to the reversal of cumulative interest expense recognized for the amortization of the debt discount on its Exchangeable Senior Notes since issuance. See Note 1, "Basis of Presentation—Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements," for additional information.
Exchangeable Note Hedge and Warrant Transactions
In connection with the pricing of the Exchangeable Senior Notes (and with the exercise by the initial purchasers of the notes to purchase additional notes), Anywhere Group entered into exchangeable note hedge transactions with certain counterparties (the "Option Counterparties"). The exchangeable note hedge transactions cover, subject to anti-dilution adjustments substantially similar to those applicable to the Exchangeable Senior Notes, the number of shares of the Company’s common stock underlying the Notes. The total cost of such exchangeable note hedge transactions was $67 million.
Concurrently with Anywhere Group entering into the exchangeable note hedge transactions, the Company entered into warrant transactions with the Option Counterparties whereby the Company sold to the Option Counterparties warrants to purchase, subject to customary adjustments, up to the same number of shares of the Company’s common stock. The initial strike price of the warrant transactions is $30.6075 per share. The Company received $46 million in cash proceeds from the sale of these warrant transactions.
Taken together, the purchase of such exchangeable note hedges and the sale of such warrants are intended to offset (in whole or in part) any potential dilution and/or cash payments upon the exchange of the Exchangeable Senior Notes, and to effectively increase the overall exchange price from $24.49 to $30.6075 per share.
At issuance, the Company recorded a deferred tax liability of $20 million related to the Exchangeable Senior Notes debt discount and a deferred tax asset of $18 million related to the exchangeable note hedge transactions. The deferred tax liability and deferred tax asset were recorded net within deferred income taxes in the unaudited consolidated balance sheets
upon issuance. The deferred tax liability related to the Exchangeable Senior Notes debt discount was reversed on January 1, 2022 upon the adoption of ASU 2020-06 as discussed above.
Loss on the Early Extinguishment of Debt and Write-Off of Financing Costs
During the nine months ended September 30, 2022, the Company recorded a loss on the early extinguishment of debt of $92 million, as a result of the refinancing transactions in the first quarter of 2022, which includes $80 million related to the make-whole premiums paid in connection with the early redemption of the 7.625% Senior Secured Second Lien Notes and 9.375% Senior Notes.
As a result of the refinancing transactions in the first quarter of 2021 and the pay down of $150 million of outstanding borrowings under the Term Loan B Facility in the second quarter of 2021 and the pay downs of the Non-extended Term Loan A and the Term Loan B Facility in the third quarter of 2021, the Company recorded losses on the early extinguishment of debt of $21 million and wrote off certain financing costs of $1 million to interest expense during the nine months ended September 30, 2021.
5. EQUITY METHOD INVESTMENTS
The Company applies the equity method of accounting when it has the ability to exercise significant influence over operating and financial policies of an investee but does not have a controlling financial or operating interest in the joint venture. The Company records its share of the net earnings or losses of its equity method investments on the “Equity in losses (earnings) of unconsolidated entities” line in the accompanying Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations. Investments not accounted for using the equity method are measured at fair value with changes in fair value recognized in net income or in the case that an investment does not have readily determinable fair values, at cost minus impairment (if any) plus or minus changes resulting from observable price changes in orderly transactions for an identical or similar investment.
The Company has various equity method investments which are recorded within other non-current assets on the accompanying Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. The Company's share of equity earnings or losses related to these investments are included in the financial results of the Title Group and Owned Brokerage Group reportable segments. The Company's equity method investment balances at September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021 were as follows:
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| September 30, 2022 | | December 31, 2021 |
Guaranteed Rate Affinity | $ | 82 | | | $ | 94 | |
Title Insurance Underwriter Joint Venture | 74 | | | — | |
Other Title Group equity method investments | 10 | | | 8 | |
Total Title Group equity method investments | 166 | | | 102 | |
Owned Brokerage Group equity method investments | 33 | | | 29 | |
Total equity method investments | $ | 199 | | | $ | 131 | |
Guaranteed Rate Affinity, the Company's 49.9% minority-owned mortgage origination joint venture with Guaranteed Rate, Inc., originates and markets its mortgage lending services to the Company's real estate brokerage as well as other real estate brokerage companies across the country. While the Company has certain governance rights, the Company does not have a controlling financial or operating interest in the joint venture. The Company recorded equity in losses of $3 million and equity in earnings of $11 million related to its investment in Guaranteed Rate Affinity during the third quarter of 2022 and 2021, respectively. The Company recorded equity in losses of $12 million and equity in earnings of $49 million related to its investment in Guaranteed Rate Affinity during the nine months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively. The Company received no cash dividends and $44 million in cash dividends from Guaranteed Rate Affinity during the nine months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
The Company’s 26% equity interest in the Title Insurance Underwriter Joint Venture is accounted for as an equity method investment. While the Company has certain governance rights, the Company does not have a controlling financial or operating interest in the joint venture. In March 2022, the Company recorded a $90 million investment at the closing of the Title Underwriter sale transaction which represented the fair value of the Company's 30% equity interest based upon the agreed upon purchase price. Subsequent to the closing, the Company received a dividend equal to $12 million from the Title Insurance Underwriter Joint Venture. This dividend reduced the Company’s investment balance to $78 million as of March 31, 2022. In April 2022, the Company sold a portion of its interest in the Title Insurance Underwriter Joint Venture to a third party reducing the Company's equity stake from 30% to 26%. The sale resulted in a gain of $4 million recorded in the Other
income, net line on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations. The Company recorded equity in earnings of $2 million and $5 million from the Title Insurance Underwriter Joint Venture during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022, respectively.
The Company recorded equity in earnings of $3 million and $2 million from the operations of Title Group's various other title related equity method investments during the third quarter of 2022 and 2021, respectively. The Company recorded equity in earnings of $4 million and $5 million from the operations of Title Group's various other title related equity method investments during the nine months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively. The Company received $2 million and $5 million in cash dividends from these equity method investments during the nine months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
Owned Brokerage Group's equity method investments include RealSure, the Real Estate Auction Joint Venture and other brokerage related investments. RealSure, the Company's 49% owned joint venture with Home Partners of America, was formed in 2020 and is designed to offer home buyers and sellers options that give them a competitive edge when buying or selling a home, while also keeping the expertise of an independent sales agent at the center of the transaction. The Real Estate Auction Joint Venture, the Company's 50% owned unconsolidated joint venture with Sotheby's, was formed in 2021 and holds an 80% ownership stake in Sotheby's Concierge Auctions, a global luxury real estate auction marketplace that partners with real estate agents to host luxury online auctions for clients. While the Company has certain governance rights over these equity method investments, the Company does not have a controlling financial or operating interest in the joint ventures. The Company recorded equity in losses of $4 million and $2 million from the operations of Owned Brokerage Group's equity method investments during the third quarter of 2022 and 2021, respectively. The Company recorded equity in losses of $13 million and $2 million from the operations of Owned Brokerage Group's equity method investments for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively. The Company invested $17 million and $3 million of cash into these equity method investments during the nine months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
6. EQUITY
Condensed Consolidated Statement of Changes in Equity for Anywhere
Effective January 1, 2022, the Company adopted ASU 2020-06, Accounting for Convertible Instruments and Contracts in an Entity’s Own Equity. Accordingly, the Company recorded a net reduction to opening Accumulated deficit of $5 million and a net reduction to opening Additional paid-in capital of $53 million as of January 1, 2022 due to the cumulative impact of adopting this new standard. See Note 1, "Basis of Presentation—Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements", for additional information.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Three Months Ended September 30, 2022 |
| Common Stock | | Additional Paid-In Capital | | Accumulated Deficit | | Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss | | Non- controlling Interests | | Total Equity |
|
|
| Shares | | Amount | |
Balance at June 30, 2022 | 114.4 | | | $ | 1 | | | $ | 4,849 | | | $ | (2,596) | | | $ | (49) | | | $ | 4 | | | $ | 2,209 | |
Net income | — | | | — | | | — | | | 55 | | | — | | | 1 | | | 56 | |
Other comprehensive loss | — | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | (1) | | | — | | | (1) | |
Repurchase of common stock | (4.9) | | | — | | | (52) | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | (52) | |
Stock-based compensation | — | | | — | | | 6 | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | 6 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Dividends | — | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | (2) | | | (2) | |
Balance at September 30, 2022 | 109.5 | | | $ | 1 | | | $ | 4,803 | | | $ | (2,541) | | | $ | (50) | | | $ | 3 | | | $ | 2,216 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Three Months Ended September 30, 2021 |
| Common Stock | | Additional Paid-In Capital | | Accumulated Deficit | | Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss | | Non- controlling Interests | | Total Equity |
|
|
| Shares | | Amount | |
Balance at June 30, 2021 | 116.6 | | | $ | 1 | | | $ | 4,932 | | | $ | (2,873) | | | $ | (58) | | | $ | 4 | | | 2,006 | |
Net income | — | | | — | | | — | | | 114 | | | — | | | 2 | | | 116 | |
Exercise of stock options | 0.1 | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | — | |
Stock-based compensation | — | | | — | | | 7 | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | 7 | |
Issuance of shares for vesting of equity awards | (0.1) | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | — | |
Dividends | — | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | (1) | | | (1) | |
Balance at September 30, 2021 | 116.6 | | | $ | 1 | | | $ | 4,939 | | | $ | (2,759) | | | $ | (58) | | | $ | 5 | | | $ | 2,128 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Nine Months Ended September 30, 2022 |
| Common Stock | | Additional Paid-In Capital | | Accumulated Deficit | | Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss | | Non- controlling Interests | | Total Equity |
|
|
| Shares | | Amount | |
Balance at December 31, 2021 | 116.6 | | | $ | 1 | | | $ | 4,947 | | | $ | (2,712) | | | $ | (50) | | | $ | 6 | | | $ | 2,192 | |
Cumulative effect adjustment due to the adoption of ASU 2020-06 | — | | | — | | | (53) | | | 5 | | | — | | | — | | | (48) | |
Net income | — | | | — | | | — | | | 166 | | | — | | | 3 | | | 169 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Repurchase of common stock | (8.8) | | | — | | | (97) | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | (97) | |
Exercise of stock options | 0.1 | | | — | | | 2 | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | 2 | |
Stock-based compensation | — | | | — | | | 20 | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | 20 | |
Issuance of shares for vesting of equity awards | 2.4 | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | — | |
Shares withheld for taxes on equity awards | (0.8) | | | — | | | (16) | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | (16) | |
Dividends | — | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | (6) | | | (6) | |
Balance at September 30, 2022 | 109.5 | | | $ | 1 | | | $ | 4,803 | | | $ | (2,541) | | | $ | (50) | | | $ | 3 | | | $ | 2,216 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Nine Months Ended September 30, 2021 |
| Common Stock | | Additional Paid-In Capital | | Accumulated Deficit | | Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss | | Non- controlling Interests | | Total Equity |
|
|
| Shares | | Amount | |
Balance at December 31, 2020 | 115.5 | | | $ | 1 | | | $ | 4,876 | | | $ | (3,055) | | | $ | (59) | | | $ | 4 | | | $ | 1,767 | |
Net income | — | | | — | | | — | | | 296 | | | — | | | 5 | | | 301 | |
Other comprehensive income | — | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | 1 | | | — | | | 1 | |
Equity component of Exchangeable Senior Notes issuance, net | — | | | — | | | 53 | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | 53 | |
Purchase of Exchangeable Senior Notes note hedge transactions | — | | | — | | | (67) | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | (67) | |
Tax benefit related to purchase of Exchangeable Senior Notes note hedge transactions | — | | | — | | | 18 | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | 18 | |
Issuance of Exchangeable Senior Notes warrant transactions | — | | | — | | | 46 | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | 46 | |
Exercise of stock options | 0.1 | | | — | | | 1 | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | 1 | |
Stock-based compensation | — | | | — | | | 21 | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | 21 | |
Issuance of shares for vesting of equity awards | 1.5 | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | — | |
Shares withheld for taxes on equity awards | (0.5) | | | — | | | (9) | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | (9) | |
Dividends | — | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | (4) | | | (4) | |
Balance at September 30, 2021 | 116.6 | | | $ | 1 | | | $ | 4,939 | | | $ | (2,759) | | | $ | (58) | | | $ | 5 | | | $ | 2,128 | |
Condensed Consolidated Statement of Changes in Equity for Anywhere Group
The Company has not included a statement of changes in equity for Anywhere Group as the operating results of Anywhere Group are consistent with the operating results of Anywhere as all revenue and expenses of Anywhere Group flow up to Anywhere and there are no incremental activities at the Anywhere level. The only difference between Anywhere Group and Anywhere is that the $1 million in par value of common stock in Anywhere's equity is included in additional paid-in capital in Anywhere Group's equity.
Stock Repurchases
The Company may repurchase shares of its common stock under authorizations from its Board of Directors. Shares repurchased are retired and not displayed separately as treasury stock on the consolidated financial statements. The par value of the shares repurchased and retired is deducted from common stock and the excess of the purchase price over par value is first charged against any available additional paid-in capital with the balance charged to retained earnings. Direct costs incurred to repurchase the shares are included in the total cost of the shares.
The Company's Board of Directors authorized a share repurchase program of up to $300 million of the Company's common stock in February 2022.
For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022, the Company repurchased and retired 4.9 million shares and 8.8 million shares of common stock for $52 million and $97 million, respectively. As of September 30, 2022, $203 million remained available for repurchase under the share repurchase program.
Stock-Based Compensation
During the first quarter of 2022, the Company granted restricted stock units related to 0.9 million shares with a weighted average grant date fair value of $17.97 and performance stock units related to 0.8 million shares with a weighted average grant date fair value of $16.51. The Company granted all time-based equity awards in the form of restricted stock units which are subject to ratable vesting over a three-year period.
7. EARNINGS PER SHARE
Earnings per share attributable to Anywhere
Basic earnings per common share is computed based on net income attributable to Anywhere stockholders divided by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted earnings per common share is computed consistently with the basic computation plus the effect of dilutive potential common shares outstanding during the period. Dilutive potential common shares include shares that the Company could be obligated to issue from outstanding stock-based compensation awards and its Exchangeable Senior Notes and warrants if dilutive (see Note 4, "Short and Long-Term Debt", for further discussion). For purposes of computing diluted earnings per common share, weighted average common shares do not include potentially dilutive common shares if their effect is anti-dilutive. As such, the shares that the Company could be obligated to issue from its stock options, warrants and Exchangeable Senior Notes are excluded from the earnings per share calculation if the exercise or exchangeable price exceeds the average market price of common shares.
The Company uses the treasury stock method to calculate the dilutive effect of outstanding stock-based compensation. If dilutive, the Company uses the if converted method to calculate the dilutive effect of its Exchangeable Senior Notes. These notes will have a dilutive impact when the average market price of the Company’s common stock exceeds the initial exchange price of $24.49 per share. The Exchangeable Senior Notes were not dilutive as of September 30, 2022 as the closing price of the Company's common stock as of September 30, 2022 was less than the initial exchange price.
The following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted earnings per share:
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Three Months Ended September 30, | | Nine Months Ended September 30, |
(In millions, except per share data) | 2022 | | 2021 | | 2022 | | 2021 |
Numerator: | | | | | | | |
Net income attributable to Anywhere shareholders | $ | 55 | | | $ | 114 | | | $ | 166 | | | $ | 296 | |
Denominator: | | | | | | | |
Weighted average common shares outstanding (denominator for basic earnings per share calculation) | 112.2 | | | 116.6 | | | 115.3 | | | 116.3 | |
Dilutive effect of stock-based compensation awards (a) | 1.3 | | | 3.7 | | | 1.7 | | | 3.9 | |
Dilutive effect of Exchangeable Senior Notes and warrants (b) | — | | | — | | | — | | | — | |
Weighted average common shares outstanding (denominator for diluted earnings per share calculation) | 113.5 | | | 120.3 | | | 117.0 | | | 120.2 | |
Earnings per share attributable to Anywhere shareholders: |
Basic earnings per share | $ | 0.49 | | | $ | 0.98 | | | $ | 1.44 | | | $ | 2.55 | |
Diluted earnings per share | $ | 0.48 | | | $ | 0.95 | | | $ | 1.42 | | | $ | 2.46 | |
_______________(a)The three months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively, exclude 5.4 million and 3.8 million shares of common stock issuable for incentive equity awards which includes performance share units based on the achievement of target amounts, that are anti-dilutive to the diluted earnings per share computation.
The nine months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively, exclude 5.0 million and 3.6 million shares of common stock issuable for incentive equity awards which includes performance share units based on the achievement of target amounts, that are anti-dilutive to the diluted earnings per share computation.
(b)Shares to be provided to the Company from the exchangeable note hedge transactions purchased concurrently with its issuance of Exchangeable Senior Notes in June 2021 are anti-dilutive and therefore they are not treated as a reduction to its diluted shares.
For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022, the Company repurchased and retired 4.9 million shares and 8.8 million shares of common stock for $52 million and $97 million, respectively. The purchase of shares under this plan reduces the weighted-average number of shares outstanding in the basic earnings per share calculation.
8. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
Litigation
The Company is involved in claims, legal proceedings, alternative dispute resolution and governmental inquiries or regulatory actions related to alleged contract disputes, business practices, intellectual property and other commercial, employment, regulatory and tax matters, including the matters described below.
The Company believes that it has adequately accrued for legal matters as appropriate. The Company records litigation accruals for legal matters when it is both probable that a liability will be incurred, and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated. Where the reasonable estimate of the probable loss is a range, the Company records as an accrual in its financial statements the most likely estimate of the loss, or the low end of the range if there is no one best estimate. For other litigation for which a loss is reasonably possible, the Company is unable to estimate a range of reasonably possible losses.
Litigation and other disputes are inherently unpredictable and subject to substantial uncertainties and unfavorable developments and resolutions could occur and even cases brought by us can involve counterclaims asserted against us. In addition, litigation and other legal matters, including class action lawsuits and regulatory proceedings challenging practices that have broad impact, can be costly to defend and, depending on the class size and claims, could be costly to settle. Insurance coverage may be unavailable for certain types of claims (including antitrust and Telephone Consumer Protection Act litigation) and even where available, insurance carriers may dispute coverage for various reasons, including the cost of defense, there is a deductible for each such case, and such insurance may not be sufficient to cover the losses the Company incurs.
From time to time, even if the Company believes it has substantial defenses, it may consider litigation settlements based on a variety of circumstances.
Due to the foregoing factors as well as the factors set forth below, the Company could incur charges or judgments or enter into settlements of claims, based upon future events or developments, with liability that are materially in excess of amounts accrued and these judgments or settlements could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition, results of operations or cash flows in any particular period. As such, an increase in accruals for one or more of these matters in any reporting period may have a material adverse effect on the Company's results of operations and cash flows for that period.
The below captioned matters address certain current litigation involving the Company, including antitrust litigation, litigation related to the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), and worker classification litigation. The captioned matters described herein involve evolving, complex litigation and the Company assesses its accruals on an ongoing basis taking into account the procedural stage and developments in the litigation. One of the antitrust matters (the Burnett litigation) is scheduled to go to trial in late February 2023 and the TCPA case is scheduled to go to trial in April 2023.
The Company disputes the allegations against it in each of these matters, believes it has substantial defenses against plaintiffs' claims and is vigorously defending these actions.
Additionally, the Company has provided an update on the settlement of certain company-initiated litigation and related counterclaims against us.
All of these matters are presented as currently captioned, but as noted elsewhere in this Quarterly Report, Realogy Holdings Corp. has been renamed Anywhere Real Estate Inc.
Antitrust Litigation
The cases included under this header, Antitrust Litigation, are class actions that challenge residential real estate industry rules and practices for seller payment of buyer broker commissions. The issues raised by these cases have not been previously adjudicated, and the cases are pending in multiple jurisdictions, are at various stages of litigation, claim to cover lengthy periods, involve different assertions with respect to liability and damages, include federal and certain state law claims, involve numerous and differing parties, and—given that antitrust laws generally provide for joint and several
liability and treble damages—could result in a broad range of outcomes, making it difficult to predict possible damages or how legal, factual and damages issues will be resolved.
These factors also complicate the potential for achieving settlement in individual cases or any global multi-party settlement although the Company believes, given the industry-wide impacts of the issues being litigated, potential resolution options should be considered.
The Company believes that additional antitrust litigation may be possible depending on decisions in pending litigation or regulatory developments affecting the industry.
In each of these cases, plaintiffs claim damages for all or a meaningful portion of the buyer brokers’ commission paid in each transaction irrespective of the fact that the Company retained relatively little of those commissions (as the vast majority of the commission remained with the independent sales agent and/or franchisee, as applicable).
Burnett, Hendrickson, Breit, Trupiano, and Keel v. The National Association of Realtors, Realogy Holdings Corp., Homeservices of America, Inc., BHH Affiliates LLC, HSF Affiliates, LLC, RE/MAX LLC, and Keller Williams Realty, Inc. (U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri). This is a now-certified class action complaint, which was filed on April 29, 2019 and amended on June 21, 2019, June 30, 2021 and May 6, 2022 (formerly captioned as Sitzer).
The plaintiffs allege that the defendants engaged in a continuing contract, combination, or conspiracy to unreasonably restrain trade and commerce in violation of Section 1 of the Sherman Act because defendant NAR allegedly established mandatory anticompetitive policies and rules for the multiple listing services and its member brokers that require listing brokers to make an offer of buyer broker compensation when listing a property. The plaintiffs' experts argue that “but for” the challenged NAR policies and rules, these offers of buyer broker compensation would not be made and plaintiffs seek the recovery of any commissions paid to buyers’ brokers as to both brokerage and franchised operations in the relevant geographic area.
The plaintiffs further allege that commission sharing, which provides for the broker representing the seller sharing or paying a portion of its commission to the broker representing the buyer, is anticompetitive and violates the Sherman Act, and that the brokerage/franchisor defendants conspired with NAR by requiring their respective brokerages/franchisees to comply with NAR’s policies, rules, and Code of Ethics, and engaged in other allegedly anticompetitive conduct including, but not limited to, steering and agent education that allegedly promotes the practice of paying buyer broker compensation and discourages commission negotiation. Plaintiffs’ experts dispute defendants’ contention that the practice of offering and paying buyer broker compensation is based on natural and legitimate economic incentives and benefits that exist irrespective of the challenged NAR policies and rules and also contend that international practices are comparable benchmarks.
The antitrust claims in the Burnett litigation are limited both in allegations and relief sought to home sellers who from April 29, 2015, to the present used a listing broker affiliated with one of the brokerage/franchisor defendants in four MLSs that primarily serve the State of Missouri, purportedly in violation of federal and Missouri antitrust laws. The plaintiffs seek a permanent injunction enjoining the defendants from requiring home sellers to pay buyer broker commissions or from otherwise restricting competition among brokers, an award of damages and/or restitution for the class period, attorneys' fees and costs of suit. Plaintiffs allege joint and several liability and seek treble damages.
In addition, the plaintiffs include a cause of action for alleged violations of the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act, or MMPA, on behalf of Missouri residents only, with a class period that commences April 29, 2014. The plaintiffs seek a permanent injunction enjoining the defendants from engaging in conduct in violation of the MMPA, an award of damages and/or restitution for the class period, punitive damages, attorneys' fees, and costs of suit.
On August 22, 2019, the Court denied defendants’ motions to transfer the litigation to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, and on October 16, 2019, the Court denied the motions to dismiss this litigation filed respectively by NAR and the Company (together with the other named brokerage/franchisor defendants). In September 2019, the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) filed a statement of interest and appearances for this matter and, in July 2020 and July 2021, requested the Company provide it with all materials produced in this matter.
The Court granted class certification on April 22, 2022. The Company's petition for an interlocutory appeal of the class certification decision was denied by the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit on June 2, 2022. The class the Court has certified includes, according to plaintiffs, over 310,000 transactions for which the plaintiffs are seeking a full refund of the buyer brokers’ commissions. Each of the five defendants, including the Company, filed motions for summary judgment on August 29, 2022, and the plaintiffs filed a consolidated opposition to the motions on October 10, 2022.
Defendants’ replies are due on November 7, 2022 and oral argument on the summary judgment motions is scheduled for November 17, 2022. The Court has set a trial date for February 21, 2023, and the Company does not expect significant changes to that schedule.
The Company disputes the allegations against it in this case, believes it has substantial defenses to both plaintiffs’ claims and damage assertions, and is vigorously defending this litigation.
Moehrl, Cole, Darnell, Ramey, Umpa and Ruh v. The National Association of Realtors, Realogy Holdings Corp., Homeservices of America, Inc., BHH Affiliates, LLC, The Long & Foster Companies, Inc., RE/MAX LLC, and Keller Williams Realty, Inc. (U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois). The Moehrl complaint contains substantially similar allegations, and seeks the same relief under the Sherman Act, as the Burnett litigation. The Moehrl complaint, however, is brought on behalf of home sellers in 20 MLSs in various parts of the country that do not overlap with the Burnett MLSs and purports to cover transactions beginning from March 6, 2015 through December 31, 2020.
In contrast to the Burnett plaintiffs, the Moehrl plaintiffs acknowledge that there are economic reasons why a seller would offer buyer compensation (and accordingly, do not seek recovery of all commissions paid to buyers’ brokers), although plaintiffs allege that buyer brokers are overpaid due to the mandatory nature of the applicable NAR policies and rules.
In October 2019, the DOJ filed a statement of interest for this matter. A motion to appoint lead counsel in the case was granted on an interim basis by the Court in May 2020. In October 2020, the Court denied the separate motions to dismiss filed in August 2019 by each of NAR and the Company (together with the other defendants named in the amended Moehrl complaint). Plaintiffs filed their motion for class certification on February 23, 2022. The Company’s opposition to the plaintiffs' class certification motion was filed on May 31, 2022 (together with the other defendants named in the complaint) and plaintiffs’ reply in further support of their motion was filed on August 22, 2022; plaintiffs’ motion for class certification remains pending. Discovery in the case is ongoing.
The Company disputes the allegations against it in this case, believes it has substantial defenses to both plaintiffs’ claims and damage assertions, and is vigorously defending this litigation.
Batton, Bolton, Brace, Kim, James, Mullis, Bisbicos and Parsons v. The National Association of Realtors, Realogy Holdings Corp., Homeservices of America, Inc., BHH Affiliates, LLC, HSF Affiliates, LLC, The Long & Foster Companies, Inc., RE/MAX LLC, and Keller Williams Realty, Inc. (U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois Eastern Division). In this putative nationwide class action filed on January 25, 2021 (formerly captioned as Leeder), the plaintiffs take issue with certain NAR policies, including those related to buyer broker compensation at issue in the Moehrl and Burnett matters, as well as those at issue in the 2020 settlement between the DOJ and NAR, but claim the alleged conspiracy has harmed buyers (instead of sellers). The plaintiffs allege that the defendants made agreements and engaged in a conspiracy in restraint of trade in violation of the Sherman Act and were unjustly enriched, and seek a permanent injunction enjoining NAR from establishing in the future the same or similar rules, policies, or practices as those challenged in the action as well as an award of damages and/or restitution, interest, and reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses.
On May 2, 2022, the Court granted the motion to dismiss filed by the Company (together with the other companies named in the complaint) without prejudice. On July 6, 2022, plaintiffs filed an amended complaint substituting in eight new named plaintiffs and no longer naming Leeder as named plaintiff, that may consequently be referred to as Batton v. The National Association of Realtors, et al. The amended complaint is substantially similar to the original complaint but, in addition to the federal Sherman Act and unjust enrichment claims, plaintiffs have added two claims based on certain state antitrust statutes and consumer protection statutes. The Company (together with the other companies named in the complaint) filed a motion to dismiss the amended complaint on September 7, 2022. Plaintiffs’ opposition to the motion was filed October 21, 2022, with the defendants’ reply due on November 22, 2022.
The Company disputes the allegations against it in this case, believes it has substantial defenses to plaintiffs’ claims, and is vigorously defending this litigation.
Nosalek, Hirschorn and Hirschorn v. MLS Property Information Network, Inc., Realogy Holdings Corp., Homeservices of America, Inc., BHH Affiliates, LLC, HSF Affiliates, LLC, RE/MAX LLC, and Keller Williams Realty, Inc. (U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts). This is a putative class action filed on December 17, 2020 (formerly captioned as Bauman), wherein the plaintiffs take issue with policies and rules similar to those at issue in the Moehrl and Burnett matters, but rather than objecting to the national policies and rules published by NAR, this lawsuit specifically objects to the alleged policies and rules of a multiple listing service (MLS Property Information Network, Inc.) that is owned by realtors,
including in part by one of the Company's company-owned brokerages. The plaintiffs allege that the defendants made agreements and engaged in a conspiracy in restraint of trade in violation of the Sherman Act and seek a permanent injunction, enjoining the defendants from continuing conduct determined to be unlawful, as well as an award of damages and/or restitution, interest, and reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses. On December 10, 2021, the Court denied the motion to dismiss filed in March 2021 by the Company (together with the other defendants named in the complaint). On March 1, 2022, plaintiffs filed an amended complaint substituting in two new named plaintiffs and no longer naming the Baumans as named plaintiffs, that may consequently be referred to as Nosalek v. MLS Property Information Network, Inc. The lawsuit seeks to represent a class of sellers who paid a broker commission in connection with the sale of a property listed in the MLS Property Information Network, Inc. Discovery in the case has commenced.
The Company disputes the allegations against it in this case, believes it has substantial defenses to plaintiffs’ claims, and is vigorously defending this litigation.
Telephone Consumer Protection Act Litigation
Bumpus, et al. v. Realogy Holdings Corp., et al. (U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, San Francisco Division). In this class action filed on June 11, 2019, against Anywhere Real Estate Inc. (f/k/a Realogy Holdings Corp.), Anywhere Intermediate Holdings LLC (f/k/a Realogy Intermediate Holdings LLC), Anywhere Real Estate Group LLC (f/k/a Realogy Group LLC ), Anywhere Real Estate Services Group LLC (f/k/a Realogy Services Group LLC), and Anywhere Advisors LLC (f/k/a Realogy Brokerage Group LLC and NRT LLC), and Mojo Dialing Solutions, LLC, plaintiffs allege that independent sales agents affiliated with Anywhere Advisors LLC violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991 (TCPA) using dialers provided by Mojo and others. Plaintiffs seek relief on behalf of a National Do Not Call Registry class, an Internal Do Not Call class, and an Artificial or Prerecorded Message class.
In March 2022, the Court granted plaintiffs’ motion for class certification for the foregoing classes as to the Anywhere defendants but not as to co-defendant Mojo and dismissed Mojo from the case. Plaintiffs and the Anywhere defendants’ cross-motions for summary judgment were denied without prejudice on May 11, 2022. The Company's petition for permission to appeal the class certification filed with the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals was denied and the plaintiffs’ class notice plan was approved on May 26, 2022.
On October 24, 2022, the Court moved the trial date to April 2023. A mediation between the parties in August 2022 did not result in resolution of this matter. While the Company may pursue further attempts at mediation, it can provide no assurance as to whether any such mediation would be successful.
The Company disputes the allegations against it in this case, believes it has substantial defenses to both plaintiffs’ claims and damage assertions, and is vigorously defending this action.
Worker Classification Litigation
Whitlach v. Premier Valley, Inc. d/b/a Century 21 M&M and Century 21 Real Estate LLC (Superior Court of California, Stanislaus County). This was filed as a putative class action complaint on December 20, 2018 by plaintiff James Whitlach against Premier Valley Inc., a Century 21 Real Estate independently-owned franchisee doing business as Century 21 M&M (“Century 21 M&M”). The complaint also names Century 21 Real Estate LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company and the franchisor of Century 21 Real Estate (“Century 21”), as an alleged joint employer of the franchisee’s independent sales agents and seeks to certify a class that could potentially include all agents of both Century 21 M&M and Century 21 in California. In February 2019, the plaintiff amended his complaint to assert claims pursuant to the California Private Attorneys General Act (“PAGA”). Following the Court's dismissal of the plaintiff's non-PAGA claims without prejudice in June 2019, the plaintiff filed a second amended complaint asserting one cause of action for alleged civil penalties under PAGA in June 2020 and continued to pursue his PAGA claims as a representative of purported "aggrieved employees" as defined by PAGA. As such representative, the plaintiff seeks all non-individualized relief available to the purported aggrieved employees under PAGA, as well as attorneys’ fees. Under California law, PAGA claims are generally not subject to arbitration and may result in exposure in the form of additional penalties.
In the second amended complaint, the plaintiff continues to allege that Century 21 M&M misclassified all of its independent real estate agents, salespeople, sales professionals, broker associates and other similar positions as independent contractors, failed to pay minimum wages, failed to provide meal and rest breaks, failed to pay timely wages, failed to keep proper records, failed to provide appropriate wage statements, made unlawful deductions from wages, and failed to reimburse plaintiff and the putative class for business related expenses, resulting in violations of the California Labor Code. The demurrer filed by Century 21 M&M (and joined by Century 21) on August 3, 2020 to the plaintiff's amended complaint,
was granted by the Court on November 10, 2020, dismissing the case without leave to replead. In January 2021, the plaintiff filed a notice of appeal of the Court’s order granting the demurrer and filed its brief in support of the appeal in June 2021. In October 2021, Century 21 and Century 21 M&M filed their appellate brief in opposition to plaintiff’s appeal and in January 2022, plaintiff filed its reply brief in support of the appeal. In September 2022, Century 21 and Century 21 M&M filed a motion with the Appellate Court to dismiss the appeal in favor of arbitration in response to a recent change in the law, which the plaintiff opposed. This case raises various previously unlitigated claims and the PAGA claim adds additional litigation, financial and operating uncertainties.
Company-Initiated Litigation and Related Counterclaims
Realogy Holdings Corp., NRT New York LLC (d/b/a The Corcoran Group), Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc., Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage Company, Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate LLC, NRT West, Inc., Martha Turner Properties, L.P. And Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC v. Urban Compass, Inc., and Compass, Inc. (Supreme Court New York, New York County). In October 2022, the Company and Urban Compass, Inc. and Compass, Inc. (together, "Compass") entered into a confidential settlement agreement with respect to this matter and Compass' related counterclaims, and the actions were dismissed.
Other
Examples of other legal matters involving the Company may include but are not limited to allegations:
•concerning antitrust and anti-competition matters;
•concerning alleged violations of RESPA, state consumer fraud statutes, federal consumer protection statutes or other state real estate law violations;
•that independent residential real estate sales agents engaged by our company owned brokerages or by affiliated franchisees—under certain state or federal laws—are potentially employees instead of independent contractors, and they or regulators therefore may bring claims against our Owned Brokerage Group for breach of contract, wage and hour classification claims, wrongful discharge, unemployment and workers' compensation and could seek benefits, back wages, overtime, indemnification, penalties related to classification practices and expense reimbursement available to employees or make similar claims against Franchise Group as an alleged joint employer of an affiliated franchisee’s independent sales agents;
•concerning other employment law matters, including other types of worker classification claims as well as wage and hour claims and retaliation claims;
•concerning information security, including claims under new and emerging data privacy laws related to the protection of customer, employee or third-party information;
•concerning cyber-crime, including claims related to the diversion of homesale transaction closing funds;
•that the Company is vicariously or jointly liable for the conduct of individuals or entities traditionally outside of our control, including franchisees and independent sales agents, under joint employer claims or other theories of actual or apparent agency;
•by current or former franchisees that franchise agreements were breached including improper terminations;
•concerning claims related to the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, including autodialer claims;
•concerning claims generally against the company owned brokerage operations for negligence, misrepresentation or breach of fiduciary duty in connection with the performance of real estate brokerage or other professional services as well as other brokerage claims associated with listing information and property history;
•related to intellectual property or copyright law, including infringement actions alleging improper use of copyrighted photographs on websites or in marketing materials without consent of the copyright holder or claims challenging our trademarks;
•concerning breach of obligations to make websites and other services accessible for consumers with disabilities;
•concerning claims generally against the title agent contending that the agent knew or should have known that a transaction was fraudulent or that the agent was negligent in addressing title defects or conducting the settlement;
•related to disclosure or securities law violations as well as derivative suits; and
•related to general fraud claims.
Other ordinary course legal proceedings that may arise from time to time include those related to commercial arrangements, indemnification (under contract or common law), franchising arrangements, the fiduciary duties of brokers, standard brokerage disputes like the failure to disclose accurate square footage or hidden defects in the property such as mold, claims under the False Claims Act (or similar state laws), consumer lending and debt collection law claims, employment law claims related to business actions responsive to the COVID-19 outbreak and governmental and regulatory directives thereto, state auction law, and violations of similar laws in countries where we operate around the world with respect to any of the foregoing. In addition, with the increasing requirements resulting from government laws and regulations concerning data breach notifications and data privacy and protection obligations, claims associated with these laws may become more common. While most litigation involves claims against the Company, from time to time the Company commences litigation, including litigation against former employees, franchisees and competitors when it alleges that such persons or entities have breached agreements or engaged in other wrongful conduct.
* * *
Cendant Corporate Liabilities and Guarantees to Cendant and Affiliates
Anywhere Group (then Realogy Corporation) separated from Cendant on July 31, 2006 (the "Separation"), pursuant to a plan by Cendant (now known as Avis Budget Group, Inc.) to separate into four independent companies—one for each of Cendant's business units—real estate services (Anywhere Group, formerly referred to as Realogy Group), travel distribution services ("Travelport"), hospitality services, including timeshare resorts ("Wyndham Worldwide"), and vehicle rental ("Avis Budget Group"). Pursuant to the Separation and Distribution Agreement dated as of July 27, 2006 among Cendant, Anywhere Group, Wyndham Worldwide and Travelport (the "Separation and Distribution Agreement"), each of Anywhere Group, Wyndham Worldwide and Travelport have assumed certain contingent and other corporate liabilities (and related costs and expenses), which are primarily related to each of their respective businesses. In addition, Anywhere Group has assumed 62.5% and Wyndham Worldwide has assumed 37.5% of certain contingent and other corporate liabilities (and related costs and expenses) of Cendant.
The due to former parent balance was $20 million at September 30, 2022 and $19 million at December 31, 2021, respectively. The due to former parent balance was comprised of the Company’s portion of the following: (i) Cendant’s remaining contingent tax liabilities, (ii) potential liabilities related to Cendant’s terminated or divested businesses, and (iii) potential liabilities related to the residual portion of accruals for Cendant operations.
Tax Matters
The Company is subject to income taxes in the United States and several foreign jurisdictions. Significant judgment is required in determining the worldwide provision for income taxes and recording related assets and liabilities. In the ordinary course of business, there are many transactions and calculations where the ultimate tax determination is uncertain. The Company is regularly under audit by tax authorities whereby the outcome of the audits is uncertain. The Company believes there is appropriate support for positions taken on its tax returns. The liabilities that have been recorded represent the best estimates of the probable loss on certain positions and are adequate for all open years based on an assessment of many factors including past experience and interpretations of tax law applied to the facts of each matter. However, the outcomes of tax audits are inherently uncertain.
Escrow and Trust Deposits
As a service to its customers, the Company administers escrow and trust deposits which represent undisbursed amounts received for the settlement of real estate transactions. Deposits at FDIC-insured institutions are insured up to $250 thousand. These escrow and trust deposits totaled $1,071 million at September 30, 2022 and while these deposits are not assets of the Company (and therefore are excluded from the accompanying Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets), the Company remains contingently liable for the disposition of these deposits.
9. SEGMENT INFORMATION
The reportable segments presented below represent the Company’s segments for which separate financial information is available and which is utilized on a regular basis by its chief operating decision maker to assess performance and to allocate resources. In identifying its reportable segments, the Company also considers the nature of services provided by its segments.
Management evaluates the operating results of each of its reportable segments based upon revenue and Operating EBITDA. Operating EBITDA is defined by us as net income (loss) before depreciation and amortization, interest expense, net (other than relocation services interest for securitization assets and securitization obligations), income taxes, and other items that are not core to the operating activities of the Company such as restructuring charges, former parent legacy items, gains or losses on the early extinguishment of debt, impairments, gains or losses on discontinued operations and gains or losses on the sale of businesses, investments or other assets. The Company’s presentation of Operating EBITDA may not be comparable to similar measures used by other companies.
During the fourth quarter of 2022, the Company initiated a plan to integrate Owned Brokerage Group and Title Group. Accordingly, as a result of this effort, the Company will reassess its operating and reportable segments in the fourth quarter.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Revenues (a) |
| Three Months Ended September 30, | | Nine Months Ended September 30, |
| 2022 | | 2021 | | 2022 | | 2021 |
Franchise Group | $ | 306 | | | $ | 342 | | | $ | 912 | | | $ | 943 | |
Owned Brokerage Group | 1,486 | | | 1,705 | | | 4,525 | | | 4,667 | |
Title Group | 113 | | | 250 | | | 447 | | | 706 | |
Corporate and Other (b) | (97) | | | (111) | | | (299) | | | (307) | |
Total Company | $ | 1,808 | | | $ | 2,186 | | | $ | 5,585 | | | $ | 6,009 | |
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(a)Transactions between segments are eliminated in consolidation. Revenues for Franchise Group include intercompany royalties and marketing fees paid by Owned Brokerage Group of $97 million and $299 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022, respectively, and $111 million and $307 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021, respectively. Such amounts are eliminated through the Corporate and Other line.
(b)Includes the elimination of transactions between segments.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Operating EBITDA |
| Three Months Ended September 30, | | Nine Months Ended September 30, |
| 2022 | | 2021 | | 2022 | | 2021 |
Franchise Group | $ | 202 | | | $ | 211 | | | $ | 544 | | | $ | 576 | |
Owned Brokerage Group | (1) | | | 51 | | | (30) | | | 116 | |
Title Group | 9 | | | 54 | | | 27 | | | 170 | |
Corporate and Other (a) | (44) | | | (43) | | | (104) | | | (117) | |
Total Company | $ | 166 | | | $ | 273 | | | $ | 437 | | | $ | 745 | |
| | | | | | | |
Less: Depreciation and amortization | 53 | | | 50 | | | 159 | | | 152 | |
Interest expense, net | 30 | | | 52 | | | 76 | | | 147 | |
Income tax expense | 8 | | | 48 | | | 52 | | | 125 | |
Restructuring costs, net (b) | 16 | | | 4 | | | 23 | | | 14 | |
Impairments (c) | 3 | | | 1 | | | 3 | | | 3 | |
Former parent legacy cost, net (d) | 1 | | | — | | | 1 | | | 1 | |
Loss on the early extinguishment of debt (d) | — | | | 3 | | | 92 | | | 21 | |
Loss (gain) on the sale of businesses, investments or other assets, net (e) | — | | | 1 | | | (135) | | | (14) | |
Net income attributable to Anywhere and Anywhere Group | $ | 55 | | | $ | 114 | | | $ | 166 | | | $ | 296 | |
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(a)Includes the elimination of transactions between segments.
(b)The three months ended September 30, 2022 includes restructuring charges of $2 million at Franchise Group, $8 million at Owned Brokerage Group and $6 million at Corporate and Other.
The three months ended September 30, 2021 includes restructuring charges of $1 million at Franchise Group, $2 million at Owned Brokerage Group and $1 million at Corporate and Other.
The nine months ended September 30, 2022 includes restructuring charges of $4 million at Franchise Group, $11 million at Owned Brokerage Group and $8 million at Corporate and Other.
The nine months ended September 30, 2021 includes restructuring charges of $4 million at Franchise Group, $6 million at Owned Brokerage Group and $4 million at Corporate and Other.
(c)Non-cash impairments primarily relate to software and lease asset impairments.
(d)Former parent legacy items and Loss on the early extinguishment of debt are recorded in Corporate and Other.
(e)Loss (gain) on the sale of businesses, investments or other assets, net for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 is recorded in Title Group and related to the sale of the Title Underwriter during the first quarter of 2022 and the sale of a portion of the Company's ownership in the Title Insurance Underwriter Joint Venture during the second quarter of 2022. Loss (gain) on the sale of businesses, investments or other assets, net for the nine months ended September 30, 2021 is primarily recorded in Owned Brokerage Group.
10. SUBSEQUENT EVENTS
Notice of Redemption - 4.875% Senior Notes
On October 18, 2022, the Company issued a notice of redemption to redeem on November 17, 2022 all of the $340 million of its outstanding 4.875% Senior Notes plus the applicable redemption premium and accrued but unpaid interest using borrowings under its Revolving Credit Facility and cash on hand.